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THE  MONUMENTS 

OF 


UPPER  EGYPT. 


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THE  MONUMENTS 


OF 

UPPER  EGYPT 


A TRANSLATION  OF  THE 

“ ITINERAIRE  HE  LA  HAUTE  EGYPTE  ” 

OF 

V 

AUGUSTE  MARI ETTE-BEY 


BY 

ALPHONSE  MARIETTE. 


Non  Jovu  ira,  nec  ignes , 

Nec  poterit  ferrum,  nec  edax  abolere  vetmtae. 

Oi’ID. 


Alexandria  and  Cairo  : A.  MOURES. 
London:  TRUBNER  & Cj. 


1877- 


BY  WATER  POWER. 


. isAA. 


THE  TEANSLATOE’S  PEEFACE. 


An  unpretending  little  volume  was  published  in 
18G9  under  the  title  of  Itineraire  cles  Invites 
de  S.  A.  le  Khedive  aux  Fetes  de  V Inaugura- 
tion du  Canal  de  Suez.  The  very  title  of  the 
work  is  a record  of  the  great  historical  event 
which  gathered  together  many  distinguished 
personages  in  Egypt. 

The  Itineraire  met  with  all  the  favour  it 
deserved,  and  a first  edition  having  been  rapidly 
exhausted,  a second  one,  with  some  slight  altera- 
tions, appeared  in  1872. 

It  soon  became  evident,  however,  that  as  the 
majority  of  regular  tourists  on  the  Nile  belong 
to  the  two  great  English-speaking  nations,  an 
English  edition  of  the  Itineraire  would  not  prove 
otherwise  than  acceptable.  At  Mariette-Bey’s 
request,  being  myself  no  stranger  to  Egypt,  I 
readily  undertook  the  required  translation  into 
English  — a somewhat  difficult  task,  in  which 


VI 


THE  TRANSLATOR’S  PREFACE. 


I was  encouraged,  however,  by  my  brother’s  kindly 
expressed  opinion  that  I would  be  all  the  better 
qualified  for  it  by  my  genuine  sympathy  with 
the  whole  subject. 

I have  endeavoured  to  be  faithful  to  the 
original  text,  keeping  in  view  the  author’s 
idiosj’ncrasy,  and  I have  but  seldom  thought 
fit  to  avail  myself  of  the  discretionary  power 
that  bad  been  given  me.  My  task,  I need 
scarcely  say,  lias  been  a pleasant  one,  and  I 
shall  feel  amply  repaid  for  the  trouble  incurred 
if  I can  but  think  that  I have  in  the  very  re- 
motest degree  contributed  to  popularise  Egypt’s 
wonders,  and  to  bring  them  and  their  English 
and  American  visitors  into  closer  intercourse. 

As  stated  in  the  second  French  edition,  this 
little  work  does  not  pretend  to  replace  Murray’s 
Handbook  fur  Travellers  in  Egypt,  especially  now 
that  that  excellent  guide  has  been  revised  by  a 
most  competent  writer.  The  aim  of  this  volume 
is  altogether  different ; it  deals  exclusively  with 
the  antiquities,  and  its  sole  object  is  to  intro- 
duce the  visitor  to  the  Monuments  of  Upper 
Egypt,  and  to  supply  him  with  such  information 
as  will  best  enable  him  to  understand  their 
meaning. 


THE  TRANSLATOR'S  PREFACE.  vii 

In  conclusion,  I would  take  this  opportunity 
of  appealing  earnestly  to  all  travellers  in  Upper 
Egypt.  For  the  sake  of  science,  for  the  sake  of 
those  who  will  come  after  us — and  I will  add,  in 
sheer  justice  to  him  whose  persevering  labours 
and  truly  heroic  exertions  have  brought  to  light 
so  many  hidden  treasures,  I would  entreat  all 
visitors  to  Sakkarali,  Abydos,  Denderah,  Thebes, 
etc.,  to  watch  with  a jealous  care  over  the  integrity 
of  monuments  which  no  educated  man  can  gaze 
upon  without  the  keenest  iuterest,  and  to  pre- 
vent, as  far  as  in  their  power  lies,  any  further 
desecration  of  those  relics  of  a glorious  past. 

ALPH.  MAKIETTE. 


King’s  College,  London, 
May,  1S77. 


I. 


II. 


III. 

IV. 

V. 


VI. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Sources 

A Monuments  . . 

The  Temples 
The  Tombs 
B Manetho 
C Classical  Historians 
History 

1 Ancient  Empire 

2 Middle  Empire 

3 New  Empire 

4 Lower  Period 
Chronology  . . 

The  Dynasties 


Religion 

Language  and  Writing 
Rosetta  Stone 
Hieroglyphs 
Generalities 

A The  decoration  of  the  Temples 
B Their  signification 
C The  Mammisi 
D The  Royal  Cartouches 
E Epitome  of  the  best- known  epochs 
Egyptian  History 
F Entreaty  to  travellers  to  spare  the  Monu 
ments 

G Papyrus  to  be  carefully  preserved 


page 

1 

2 

* 3 
6 
11 
12 

14 

15 

16 
16 

17 

18 
22 
23 
27 
29 
31 
35 
35 
38 

42 

43 

45 

52 

55 


X 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  MONUMENTS  ..  59 

EXCURSIONS  IN  THE  ENVIRONS  OF  CAIRO.  61 

I.  Heliopolis  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  61 

H.  Pyramids  . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 

The  three  great  Pyramids  . . . . . . 67 

Their  especial  purpose  . . . . . . 68 

The  Sphinx 70 

The  Great  Pyramid . . . . . . . . 73 

III.  Mitrahenny  . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 

Memphis  . . . . . . . . . . 79 

Colossus  of  Rameses  H.  . . . . 85 

IV.  Sakkarah  . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 

Necropolis  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  87 

Step-shaped  Pyramid  . . . . . . 87 

Serapeum  . . . . . . . . . . 88 

Its  discovery  . . . . . . . . 89 

Tombs  of  Apis  . . . . . . . . 90 

Tomb  of  Tih  . . . . . . . . 94 

The  mastabah,  the  serdab  . . . . 95 

Scenes  relating  to  the  personage  while 

still  living  . . . . . . . . 97 

Scenes  relating  to  the  death  of  the 

personage  . . . . . . . . 99 

Scenes  relating  to  the  bringing  in  of 

funereal  gifts  . . . . . . 100 

Tomb  of  Phtah-Hotep  . . . . . . 101 

JOURNEY  INTO  UPPER  EGYPT.  105 

I.  Beni  Hassan  . . . . . . . . . . 106 

Pyramid  of  Meydoum . . ..  ..  107 

Grotto  tombs  . . . . . . . . 109 

Tomb  of  Ameui-Amenemha  ..  ..  Ill 

Tomb  of  Noum-Hotep  . . . . . . 112 


CONTENTS.  Xi 

PAGE 

II.  Abydos  . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 

Tel-Amarna  ..  ..  ..  ..  116 

Crocodile  caves  of  Maabdek  . . . . 117 

Temple  of  Sethi  I.  . . . . . . . . 120 

Temple  of  Rameses  II.  . . . . . . 122 

Tablet  of  Abydos  . . . . . . . . 122 

Kom-es-Sultan  . . . . . . . . 123 

III.  Dendebah  . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 

The  Temple  . . . . . . . . . . 126 

Divided  into  four  groups  . . . . . . 127 

1 Hypostyl  Hall . . . . 127 

2 Chambers  of  Assembly  . . . . . . 128 

Sacred  barks  . . . . . . . . 129 

Treasury,  vestments,  offerings  . . . . 130 

3 Hypethral  Temple  . . . . . . . . 131 

4 Sanctuary  . . . . . . . . . . 132 

The  Crypts  135 

The  Osiris  of  Denderak  . . . . . . 137 

Hathor  and  her  different  attributes  . . . . 141 

IV.  Thebes  . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 

Its  history  . . . . . . . . . . 147 

Its  hieroglyphic  name  ..  ..  ..  153 

Its  special  divinity  . . ..  ..  ..  155 

luxor  

Temple  156 

Sham  antiquities  . . . . . . . . 157 

KARNAIt  . . . . . . . . . . _ _ 157 

i.  Temple  of  Khons  ..  ..  ..  ..  igo 

Usurpation  of  authority  by  the  Priests  . . 160 

ii.  The  Great  Temple  . . . . . . . , 161 

Hypostyl  Hall  . . . . . . . . 162 

Bas-reliefs  of  Shishak  . . . . . . 163 

Poem  of  Pen-ta-our  . . . . . . 165 

Bas-reliefs  of  Sethi  I.  . . . . . . 166 

The  Pylons 168 

The  Obelisks  . . . . . . . . 159 

The  granite  chambers  . . . . . . 172 


Xll 


CONTEXTS. 


PAGE 


Geographical  lists  of  Thothmes  III. 

174 

Ethnological  lists  . . 

175 

Synoptical  table  of  the  Promised  Land 

176 

Large  court  to  the  East 

177 

The  Sanctuary 

178 

Hall  of  Ancestors  . . 

179 

iii.  The  Kuins  to  the  North  . . 

181 

iv.-  The  Ruins  to  the  South  . . 

182 

The  Lake 

182 

The  four  Pylons 

183 

The  Temple  of  Mout 

185 

THE  TEMPLE  OF  GOORNAH 

187 

THE  RAMESEUJI 

189 

Episode  in  the  life  of  Rameses  H. 

191 

Gigantic  statue  of  Rameses  II. 

194 

THE  COLOSSI 

195 

The  Colossus  of  Memnon 

197 

Laudatory  inscriptions 

199 

DEIR-EL-JIEDINEH  . . 

200 

MEDINET-ABOU 

201 

Temple  of  Thothmes  III. 

202 

Temple  of  Rameses  III.  . . 

203 

A The  Palace 

204 

Ethnological  inscriptions 

206 

B The  Temple 

209 

Battle  scenes 

210 

Valuable  inscription  on  pylon 

212 

More  Battle  scenes 

214 

Coronation  and  procession 

Rameses  III. 

of 

215 

Naval  battle 

220 

THE  NECROPOLIS 

222 

Drah-abou’l-neggah 

222 

El-Assassif  . . 

223 

Scheikh-abd-el-Goornah  and  Goornat- 
Moural  . . 

224 

Tomb  of  Houi 

225 

CONTENTS 


Xlll 


PAGE 

Tomb  of  Petamenophis  . . . . . . 227 

DEIR-EL-BAHARI  . . . . . . . . . . 228 

Triumphal  entry  of  troops  . . . . 230 

BAB-EL-MOLOUK  . . . . . . . . . . 233 

Tomb  of  Sethi  I.  . . . . . . . . 235 

Tomb  of  Raineses  III.  . . . . . . 239 

Tomb  of  Sethi  II.  . . . . . . . . 241 

Tomb  of  Rameses  IV.  . . . . . . 241 

V.  Esneh  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  243 

Decadence  of  hieroglyphs  . . . . . . 244 

Development  of  architecture  . . . . 245 

VI.  Edfou  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  246 

ElKab 246 

Temple  of  Edfou  . . . . . . . . 247 

Name  of  architect  . . . . . . . . 248 

The  Sanctuary  . . . . . . . . 249 

Dimensions  . . . . . . . . . . 250 

Masts  for  pennants . . ..  ..  ..  251 

VII.  Gebel-Silsileh  . . . . . . . . . . 251 

Stone  quarries  . . . . . 252 

Speos  . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 

Triumph  of  Horus  . . . . . . . . 253 

VIII.  Assouan  254 

Ombos  . . . . . . . . . . 254 

Mountains — Change  of  scenery  . . . . 255 

Small  temple  . . . . . . . . 256 

Island  of  Elephantine  . . . . . . 257 

IX.  PHiLffi  . . . . . . . . . . . . 257 

Inscriptions  on  rocks  . . . . . . 259 

Last  resort  of  the  Priests  . . . . . . 260 


Map  of  Egypt  to  the  First  Cataract. 
Plan  of  the  Great  Pyramid. 

Plan  of  the  Temple  of  Denderah. 

Plan  of  the  Great  Temple  of  Karnak. 


. 


LIST  OF 

PUBLICATIONS  RECOMMENDED. 


Colonel  Jacotin. — Carte  topographique  de  V Egypte, 
levee  pendant  l’ Expedition  de  V Armee  franchise. 

Linant  de  Bellefonds. — Carte  hydrographique  de  la 
Basse,  de  la  Moyenne  et  de  la  Haute-Egypte.  Paris  : 
Longuet. 

Precis  du  systeme  hieroglyphique.  Paris  : Imprimerie 
Royale,  1828. 

F.  Champollion. — Lettres  ecrites  d' Egypte . Paris:  Didier. 

. Grammaire  Egyptienne.  Paris : Diclot. 

Champollion-Figeac.  — L'  Egypte  ancienne  ( VUni/vers 
Pittoresque).  Paris:  Didot. 

J.  J.  Ampere.— Voyage  et  Becherches  en  Egypte  et  en 
Nubie.  Paris. 

Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson. — Manners  and  Customs  of  the 
Ancient  Egyptians.  London,  1837  and  1841. 

. Modern  Egypt  and  Thebes. 

London, 1843. 

. The  Egyptians  in  the  Time 

of  the  Pharaohs,  with  an  Appendix  by  Dr.  Bircli, 
entitled  An  Introduction  to  the  Study  of  the 
Egyptian  Hieroglyphs.  London,  1857. 

E.  W.  Lane. — An  Account  of  the  Manners  and  Customs 
of  the  Modern  Egyptians.  London,  1871. 

Bunsen. — Egypt's  Place  in  Universal  History. 

H.  Brugsch. — Histoire  d' Egypte ; l‘’re  partie,  L' Egypte 
sous  les  rois  indigenes.  Leipzig  : Hinriclis,  1859. 

F.  Lenormant. — Manuel  d’Histoire  ancienne  de  V Orient 
jusqu'aux  Guerres  mediques.  Les  Egyptians,  tome  I. 
Paris  : A Levy,  1869. 


XVI 


PUBLICATIONS  RECOMMENDED. 


G.  Maspero. — Histoire  Ancienne  des  Peuples  de  VOrient. 
Paris : Hacliette,  1875. 

S.  Birch. — The  Monumental  History  of  Egypt.  London : 
S.  Bagster. 

Records  of  the  Past,  Vols.  II.,  IV.,  and  VI.  London: 
S.  Bagster. 

Mariette-Bey. — Aperqu  de  V Histoire  d'Egypte.  Cairo: 
A.  Moures,  1874. 

. Notice  des  Principaux  Monuments  du 

Musee  de  Boulaq.  Cairo : A.  Moures,  1876. 

To  the  above  should  be  added  the  other  works  of  S.  Birch, 

H.  Brugsch  and,  Mariette-Bey,  as  also  the  scientific 
publications  on  Egypt  which  bear  the  honoured  names 
of  Nestor  L’Hote,  Ch.  Lenormant,  Hincks,  Lepsius, 
E.  de  Rouge,  de  Saulcy,  Goodwin  and  Chabas. 


Many  pleasant  volumes  of  travels  have  been  written  on 
Egypt,  or  d propos  of  Egypt.  We  cannot  enumerate 
them  here  ; but  we  do  not  hesitate  to  single  out,  for  its 
exceptional  artistic  and  literary  merit,  A Thousand 
Miles  up  the  Nile,  by  Amelia  B.  Edwards.  London : 
Longmans,  1877. 


THE 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


INTRODUCTION. 

Before  embarking  on  the  Nile  the  visitor 
should  have  mastered  certain  data  which  will 
afford  a kind  of  preparation  for  the  journey  he 
is  about  to  undertake.  We  will  endeavour  to 
supply,  in  as  concise  a form  as  possible,  some  of 
the  requisite  knowledge.  We  shall  first  treat  of 
the  sources  from  whence  Egyptology,  generally 
speaking,  springs  ; we  shall  then  refer  succes- 
sively to  History,  Chronology,  and  Beligion,  and 
after  noticing  Language  and  Writing,  we  will 
conclude  by  presenting  together,  in  one  chapter, 
under  the  head  of  Generalities,  a few  notes  which 
could  not  well  find  a suitable  place  elsewhere. 

I.— SOURCES. 

All  the  monuments  we  are  going  to  meet  with 
belong  to  that  civilisation  which  formerly  flou- 
2 ’ 


2 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


rished  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  and  which,  from 
beginning  to  end,  used  hieroglyphs  as  its  form  of 
writing. 

For  the  interpretation  and  understanding  of 
those  monuments  Science  avails  herself  of  three 
different  sources. 

As  a matter  of  course,  the  first  and  principal 
source  is  afforded  by  the  monuments  themselves, 
the  undeniable  witnesses,  and  often  the  con- 
temporaries, of  the  events  they  relate.  After  them 
comes  Manetho,  an  Egyptian  priest,  who  wrote 
a history  of  Egypt  in  Greek  ; the  third  and  last 
place  being  assigned  to  the  Greek  and  Roman 
authors  who  travelled  in  Egypt,  or  who  wrote 
about  it  from  hearsay. 

A.— MONUMENTS. 

The  monuments  are  at  once  many  and  various. 
Some  are  still  in  Egypt,  some  have  found  their 
way  into  the  museums  of  various  countries.  As 
we  have  ho  intention  of  drawing  up  an  inventory, 
be  it  ever  so  brief,  of  the  monuments  preserved 
in  the  Museums,  we  shall  not  go  out  of  Egypt 
and  will  rest  satisfied  with  supplying  here  a few 
data  upon  the  temples  and  tombs,  the  only 


SOURCES  OF  HISTORICAL  DATA. 


3 


monuments  the  visitor  to  Upper  Egypt  will  meet 
with  on  his  wray.* 

1.  The  Temples.— This  is  not  the  right  time  to 
describe  fully  the  temples  one  meets  with  while 
travelling  in  Upper  Egypt,  as  such  a description 
will  he  found  presently  in  its  appointed  place. 
We  may,  however,  put  at  once  into  the  reader’s 
hand  the  thread  destined  to  guide  him  in  the 
interior  of  those  monuments. 

A complete  temple  consists  of  the  edifice  pro- 
perly so  called,  and  an  enceinte  or  surrounding 
wall.  The  temple  is  of  stone,  the  outer  wall  is 
of  large  crude  bricks,  and  is  very  high  and  very 
thick.  When  the  entrance-gate  is  closed,  nothing 
whatever  can  be  heard  or  seen  of  what  is  taking 
place  inside. 

It  would  be  a mistake  to  look  at  an  Egyptian 
temple  in  the  light  of  a church,  or  even  of  a 
Greek  temple.  Here  no  public  worship  is  per- 
formed ; the  faithful  do  not  congregate  for  public 
prayer ; indeed,  no  one  is  admitted  inside  except 
the  priests.  The  temple  is  a royal  proscynem, 
or  ex  voto,  that  is,  a token  of  piety  from  the  king 

* The  ruins  of  cities  are  not  included  herein.  The 
cities,  properly  so  called,  have  completely  disappeared, 
and  their  site  is  only  here  and  there  indicated  by  a few 
shapeless  mounds. 


4 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


■who  erected  it  in  order  to  deserve  the  favour  of 
the  gods.  It  is  a hind  of  royal  oratory,  and 
nothing  more.  . In  fact,  this  circumstance  can 
alone  explain  the  profuse  decoration  that  covers 
the  temples.  Let  the  reader  bear  in  mind  that 
the  principle  of  the  decoration  is  the  picture ; 
that  several  pictures  are  ranged  symmetrically 
side  by  side,  and  that  several  series  of  pictures, 
disposed  in  tiers  one  above  the  other,  cover  the 
vails  of  the  chambers  from  top  to  bottom.  Such 
is  the  invariable  arrangement.  As  to  the  meaning 
of  the  pictures,  it  is  everywhere  the  same.  The 
king  on  one  side  and  one  or  more  divinities  on  the 
other — such  is  the  sole  subject  of  the  composition. 
The  king  presents  an  offering  (a  table  laden  with 
victuals,  flowers,  fruit,  and  emblems)  and  solicits 
a favour  from  the  god.  In  his  answer,  the  god 
grants  the  gift  that  is  prayed  for.  The  decora- 
tion of  the  temple,  therefore,  consists  of  nothing 
more  than  an  act  of  adoration  from  the  king, 
repeated  under  every  possible  form.  Thus  a 
temple  is  the  exclusively  personal  monument  of 
the  king  by  whom  it  was  founded  or  decorated. 
Indeed,  this  accounts  for  the  presence  of  those 
most  invaluable  battle- scenes  with  which  the  ex- 
ternal walls  of  certain  temples  are  adorned.  It 


SOURCES  OF  HISTORICAL  DATA. 


5 


is  to  tlie  god  and  to  his  protection  that  the  king 
chiefly  ascribes  his  victories.  In  fighting  the 
enemies  of  Egypt,  and  in  bringing  them  in  chains 
into  the  temples,  the  king  has  done  an  act  grate- 
ful to  the  gods,  just  as  he  has  done  an  act  grate- 
ful to  the  gods  in  offering  to  them  incense, 
flowers,  and  the  limbs  of  sacrificed  animals.  He 
therein  gives  proof  of  his  piety  and  is  all  the 
more  deserving  of  the  favours  which  the  con- 
struction of  the  temple  is  intended  to  secure. 

The  Egyptian  temples  are  always  dedicated  to 
three  gods.  It  is  what  Champollion  calls  the 
Triad.  The  first  is  the  male  principle,  the  second 
the  female  principle,  and  the  third  the  offspring 
of  the  other  two.  But  these  three  deities  are 
blended  into  one.  The  father  engenders  himself 
in  the  womb  of  the  mother  and  thus  becomes  at 
once  his  own  father  and  his  own  son.  Thereby 
are  expressed  the  uncreatedness  and  the  eternity 
of  the  Being  who  has  had  no  beginning  and  who 
shall  have  no  end. 

The  worship  consists  of  prayers,  recited  within 
the  temple  in  the  name  of  the  king,  and  above 
all,  of  processions.  In  these  processions,  which 
the  king  is  supposed  to  head,  are  carried  the 
insignia  of  the  gods,  the  coffers  in  which  their 


6 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


statues  are  enclosed,  and  also  the  sacred  barks, 
which  latter  are  generally  deposited  in  the  temple, 
to  he  brought  out  on  fete  days.  In  the  middle, 
concealed  under  a veil,  stands  the  coffer  within 
which  lies  the  emblem  that  none  must  see.  The 
processions  are  commonly  held  within  the  tem- 
ple ; they  generally  ascend  the  terraces  and 
sometimes  spread  themselves  inside  the  inclo- 
sure away  from  the  profane  gaze,  as  we  have 
already  said.  On  rare  occasions,  the  processions 
may  he  seen  leaving  the  city  and  wending  their 
way,  either  along  the  Nile  or  along  a canal  called 
the  Sacred  Canal,  towards  some  other  city  more 
or  less  distant.  Close  to  every  temple  is  a lake. 
In  all  probability  the  lake  played  an  important 
part  in  the  processions,  and  the  sacred  barks  were 
deposited  there,  at  least  while  the  fetes  lasted. 

2.  The  Tombs.  — The  tombs  are  situated  in 
the  desert  or  in  the  side  of  a mountain  more  or 
less  distant  from  the  river.  This  accounts  for  their 
being  relatively  so  well  preserved.  Less  conspicu- 
ous than  the  houses  of  cities  and  the  temples, 
they  have  been  less  exposed  to  devastations. 

When  complete  a tomb  consists  of  three  parts.* 

* We  do  not  include  in  this  description  the  tombs  of 
the  kings  at  Bab-el-Molouk,  which  are  constructed  on 
a different  plan. 


SOURCES  OF  HISTORICAL  DATA. 


7 


It  is  indicated  from  a distance  by  a small  build- 
ing rising  in  the  necropolis  — this  is  the  first 
part.  A rectangular  and  vertical  well  opens  in 
some  corner  of  the  building  and  leads  down  into 
a vault  — this  is  the  second  part.  The  third  is 
the  subterranean  mausoleum,  where  the  mum- 
mies repose. 

The  exterior  building  is  not  always  solid.  It 
sometimes  contains  one  or  several  chambers, 
open  at  all  times  and  to  all  comers,  where  the 
relatives  of  the  defunct  assemble  with  the  offer- 
ings they  have  brought.  There  is  also  the  serdab, 
that  is,  a kind  of  narrow  passage  left  within  the 
brickwork  and  wailed  in  as  soon  as  statues  re- 
presenting the  defunct  have  been  deposited  inside. 
Of  course  this  mysterious  and  inaccessible  place 
remains  for  ever  closed.* 

The  well  presents  no  feature  worthy  of  special 
attention.  Its  depth  varies,  as  also  its  dimen- 
sions, according  to  the  localities.  Generally 
speaking,  when  once  the  mummy  has  been  de- 
posited in  its  place,  the  well  is  stopped  up  either 

* When  the  tomb  is  hollowed  out  of  the  mountain,  as 
at  Beni-Hassan,  it  always  consists  of  those  three  parts. 
The  first  chamber  by  which  the  tomb  is  entered  takes  the 
place  of  the  exterior  building.  The  well  is  in  a corner  of 
this  chamber. 


8 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


by  a stone  which  hides  its  aperture,  or  by  mate- 
rials of  all  kinds  heaped  up  there.  Ropes  are 
necessary  for  the  descent. 

The  vault  is  cut  into  the  rock,  and  so  disposed 
that  the  sarcophagus  is  placed  right  under  the 
principal  chamber  of  the  building,  the  one  where 
the  survivors  assemble. 

The  traveller  who  visits  the  tombs  of  Sakkarah, 
of  Beni-Hassan,  of  Goornah,  and  of  El-Kab, 
must  therefore  understand  that  the  chamber  into 
which  he  will  first  enter,  whether  huilt  of  stone 
or  whether  hollowed  in  the  rock,  is  the  accessible 
chamber  reserved  for  the  relatives.  The  mum- 
mies are  in  a vault  under  ground,  to  which 
access  is  obtained  by  a narrow  passage,  which 
we  call  a well. 

The  decoration  of  the  tombs  is  in  accordance 
with  certain  laws,  which  vary  according  to  the 
period  or  according  to  that  part  of  the  tomb 
which  is  to  be  ornamented.  The  well,  the  vault, 
and  the  serdab,  are  always  without  inscription. 
The  stone  sarcophagi  and  the  wooden  coffins  of 
the  mummies  are  often  adorned  with  a vast 
amount  of  texts,  interspersed  with  illustrations. 
All  splendour  of  ornamentation  was  reserved  for 
the  chamber  of  the  outer  building. 


SOURCES  OF  HISTORICAL  DATA. 


9 


It  is  not  easy  to  point  out  the  precise  meaning 
of  the  decoration  of  the  tombs  of  the  Ancient 
Empire.  The  defunct  is  evidently  at  home.  He 
fishes,  he  hunts  ; his  servants  bring  him  the 
products  of  his  lands  ; dancing  is  held  before 
him;  his  wife  and  children  are  by  his  side.  But 
was  it  intended  to  represent  the  deceased  as  still 
of  this  world  ? And  was  it  the  object  of  the 
representations  on  the  wall  to  preserve  to  us 
the  remembrance  of  what  he  was  during  his  life- 
time ? Or  is  he  already  in  the  other  world,  and, 
according  to  the  somewhat  naive  promises  made 
to  the  Egyptians,  will  he  continue  in  that  other 
world  to  lead  the  same  sort  of  life  as  he  led  here  ? 
We  cannot  discuss  this  question  now.  All  we  can 
say  is  that  the  promises  of  which  we  have  just 
spoken  are  real:  the  defunct  will  some  day  live 
again  in  the  plenitude  of  his  faculties ; he  will 
have  need  of  the  same  objects,  he  will  occupy 
himself  with  the  same  interests  ; again  will  his 
family  and  servants  be  by  his  side.  But  never 
again  will  he  suffer  pain,  nor  be  in  apprehension 
of  death.  This  seems  to  be  the  main  idea  which 
has  presided  at  the  decoration  of  the  tombs 
under  the  Ancient  Empire. 

But  a little  later  the  decoration  changes  in  its 


10 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


character : the  defunct  must  prove  that  he  had 
gained  this  immortality  which  is  promised  him, 
and  that  by  his  merits  he  had  deserved  it. 

The  journey  of  the  soul  in  the  subterranean 
regions,  the  ordeals  which  it  has  to  undergo,  and 
its  judgment,  are  the  subjects  which  adorn  the 
walls  of  the  chambers  in  the  exterior  building. 
No  more  do  we  behold  the  varied  scenes  of  hunt- 
ing and  fishing  and  of  labour  in  the  field.  In 
their  place  appears  the  mournful  procession  of 
infernal  deities. 

At  Sakkarah  and  at  Bem-Hassan  are  found 
perfect  examples  of  these  chambers,  where  the 
defunct  is  represented  as  leading  in  the  other 
world  that  domesticated  and  pastoral  life  which 
Egyptians regarded  as  the  highest  state  offelicity. 

It  is  at  Bab-el-Molouk,  in  the  tomb  of  Sethi  I., 
that  the  type  of  the  second  sort  of  tomb  is 
found.  * 

* For  further  details  on  this  subject  see  the  Avanl- 
- propos  of  the  “ Notice  Sommaire  des  Monuments  exposes 
dans  les  Galeries  du  Musee  de  Boulaq,”  which  may  be 
obtained  at  the  museum  at  Boolak. 

We  have  also  treated  of  the  tombs  of  the  Ancient  Em- 
pire, and  the  general  idea  on  which  their  decoration  rested, 
in  a special  article  in  the  “ Revue  Arclieologique  ” for 
January  and  February  18G9.  (Paris : Librairie  Didier, 
Quai  des  Augustins.)  See  also  S.  Birch,  “ Unrolling  of 
a Mummy.” 


SOURCES  OF  HISTORICAL  DATA. 


11 


B.—  MANETHO. 

Manetbo  was  an  Egyptian  priest,  who  lived 
in  the  time  of  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,*  and  who 
wrote  a history  of  Egypt  in  Greek,  in  which  he 
introduced  a list  of  all  the  kings  who  ever  reigned 
on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  from  the  most  remote 
period  to  the  conquest  of  Alexander.  This  his- 
tory is  lost,  but  the  lists  are  preserved  in  the 
work  of  Georgius  Syncellus,  a Byzantine  his- 
torian of  the  eighth  century,  who  had  borrowed 
them  from  the  Chronicle  of  Eusebius  and  from 
the  Chronography  of  Julius  Africanus. 

After  what  we  have  already  said,  we  need 
scarcely  again  refer  to  the  lists  of  Manetlio  to 
point  out  of  what  importance  they  are  for  us. 
It  may  be  that  we  cannot,  strictly  speaking,  rely 
implicitly  on  the  accuracy  of  the  figures  which 
mark  the  duration  of  the  different  reigns  and 
dynasties,  those  figures  having  been  rearranged 
by  the  Christian  authors  who  copied  them  from 
the  original  work ; and,  moreover,  it  may  be 
surmised  that  the  names  of  some  kings  have 
been  changed  or  inverted.  Be  that  as  it  may,  if 
for  one  moment  we  suppose  the  lists  of  Manetlio 
had  been  entirely  lost,  through  whom  should  we 
* About  the  year  263  of  the  Christian  era. 


12 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


have  become  acquainted  with  that  previous  divi- 
sion into  dynasties,  and  how  should  we  even 
know  that  it  ever  existed  ? The  royal  names 
revealed  by  the  hieroglyphic  inscriptions  become 
every  day  more  and  more  numerous.  How  should 
we  know  in  what  manner  to  classify  them  at 
all  satisfactorily  without  the  lists  of  Manetlio  ? 
Have  not  these  lists  the  advantage — an  advan- 
tage never  sufficiently  appreciated — of  showing 
us  at  least  a road  which  "we  may  follow  ? 

Among  the  sources  of  the  history  of  Egypt, 
the  Roj’al  Papyrus  of  Turin,  if  it  were  complete, 
could  alone  rival  Manetlio  in  importance. 


C.— CLASSICAL  HISTORIANS. 

Such  persons  as  may  not  care  to  go  deeply 
into  the  study  of  Egyptology  may  be  content  to 
read  the  Second  Book  of  Herodotus,  the  First 
Book  of  Diodorus,  the  Seventeenth  Book  of 
Strabo,  and  the  Treatise  de  Iside  et  Osiride, 
attributed  to  Plutarch. 

Had  we  nothing  but  the  writings  of  Herodotus 
and  of  Diodorus  to  guide  us  in  the  study  of 
Ancient  Egypt,  we  could  certainly  form  but  a 
very  imperfect  idea  of  that  country.  Every  no- 


SOURCES  OF  HISTORICAL  DATA. 


13 


tion  of  chronology  is  there  completely  upset.  * 
They  contain  stories  as  ridiculous  as  they  are 
impossible.  One  must  read  the  histories  of  Egypt 
written  before  the  discovery  of  Champoliion  to 
see  into  what  fatal  errors  these  two  writers  would 
involve  science,  were  no  other  sources  of  informa- 
tion at  hand. 

Strabo  is  more  trustworthy.  His  Geography 
contains  excellent  information,  with  no  other 
fault  than  that  of  being  rather  curtailed. 

Whoever  may  have  been  the  author  of  the 
Treatise  on  Isis  and  Osiris,  no  one  can  enter 
upon  the  study  of  the  Egyptian  religion  without 
an  intimate  acquaintance  with  this  book.  The 
author  has  borrowed  with  discernment  from  true 
Egyptian  sources.  In  this  world  of  ours,  good 
is  incessantly  struggling  with  evil,  truth  with 
falsehood,  light  with  darkness,  life  with  death. 
Osiris  is  one  of  the  personifications  of  the  eternal 
antagonism  of  these  two  opposing  principles.  At 
one  moment  overthrown  by  Typhon,  the  genius 
of  evil,  Osiris  dies ; he  revives  only  to  fall 
again.  Out  of  this  antagonism  and  the  nu- 

* Herodotus,  for  instance,  places  the  Pyramids  after 
Itameses,  which  is  very  much  hke  placing  Charlemagne 
after  Louis  XIV. 


14 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


merous  explanations  and  illustrations  drawn  from 
the  myth  the  pseudo-Plutarch  has  woven  the 
thread  of  his  admirable  Treatise. 

II.— HISTORY. 

The  history  of  Egypt  commences  with  Menes, 
the  founder  of  the  monarchy,  and  it  terminates 
with  the  Emperor  Theodosius,  who  abolished  by  a 
decree  the  ancient  religion  of  the  land  (a.d.  381). 

During  this  long  period  Egypt  was  not  always 
mistress  of  her  destinies.  She  had  been  conquered 
by  the  Shepherds,  a horde  of  barbarians  from 
Asia;  by  the  Ethiopians,  by  the  Greeks,  and  by 
theEomans,  to  say  nothing  of  partial  incursions 
of  Libyan  and  Arabian  tribes.  But  all  these 
conquerors,  not  even  excepting  the  Shepherds, 
adopted  while  in  Egypt  the  religion,  the  arts, 
language,  and  customs  of  the  conquered  people  ; 
and  their  names  figure  in  the  official  register  of 
the  kings  of  the  country. 

To  establish  some  order  in  the  endless  list  of 
kings  who  reigned  from  the  time  of  Menes  to  that 
of  Theodosius,  one  generally  divides  them,  after 
Manetho’s  method,  into  royal  families,  or  Dynas- 
ties, and  these  dynasties  are  in  their  turn  dis- 


HISTORY. 


15 


tinguislied  from  eacli  other  either  by  the  name 
of  the  foreign  naticfn  which  furnished  the  kings, 
or  by  the  name  of  the  city  which  served  as 
capital  in  the  time  of  such  dynasty.  Thus  there 
is  the  Greek  dynasty,  the  Memphite,  the  Theban, 
&c.  From  Menes  to  Theodosius  there  are  as 
many  as  thirty-four  different  dynasties.  Another 
and  a wider  division  has  been  made.  Taking  into 
consideration  certain  important  events  and  cer- 
tain modifications  introduced  into  the  general 
economy  of  the  kingdom,  the  entire  history  of 
Egypt  has  been  divided  into  four  main  stems  : — 

1.  The  first  comprises  the  fifst  ten  dynasties, 
and  is  called  the  Ancient  Empire.  The  Ancient 
Empire  belongs  to  a period  so  prodigiously  re- 
mote that  it  is  literally  lost  in  the  obscurity  of 
ages.  Its  existence  actually  ceases  before  Abra- 
ham is  born.  The  Ancient  Empire  spreads  en- 
tirely over  the  fourth,  the  fifth,  and  part  of  the 
sixth  dynasties.  Before  and  after  that,  all  is 
confusion,  or  rather  darkness.  This  is  the  age 
of  the  Pyramids.  It  is  a remarkable  fact  that 
the  art  of  the  statuary  and  of  the  sculptor 
reached  a degree  of  perfection  under  the  Ancient 
Empire  which  it  was  never  again  to  attain. 

2.  The  second  extends  over  those  centuries 


1G 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


that  elapsed  between  the  eleventh  dynasty  and 
the  eighteenth.  This  is  the  Middle  Empire. 
The  Middle  Empire  has  already  been  some  time 
in  existence  when  Abraham  appears.  Joseph 
is  governor  under  the  last  king  of  the  Middle 
Empire.  Of  the  whole  of  this  period,  however, 
the  twelfth  dynasty  and  the  Shepherd  kings 
alone  need  be  remembered.  The  twelfth  dynas- 
ty is  made  famous  by  the  tombs  of  Beni- 
-Hassan.  As  to  the  Shepherds,  or  Hyksos,  they 
give  their  name  to  the  most  lamentable  period 
in  Egyptian  history,  a period  of  511  years,  dur- 
ing which  the  national  homogeneity  is  utterly 
broken,  and  Asiatic  invaders  lord  it  over  the 
most  flourishing  provinces  in  the  kingdom. 

3.  The  third  stem  is  that  which  is  called  the 
New  Empire.  It  commences  with  the  eighteenth 
dynasty  and  terminates  with  Alexander.  The 
most  brilliant  epoch  of  the  New  Empire,  that 
of  which  the  most  frequent  and  glorious  traces 
are  met  with  during  a voyage  on  the -Nile,  cor- 
responds to  the  eighteenth,  nineteenth,  and 
twentieth  djmasties.  It  is  the  age  of  the 
Thothmes’,  the  Amenopliises,  and  the  Baineses’. 
It  is  also  the  time  of  Moses  (nineteenth  dynasty). 
But  this  brilliancy  was  not  to  last,  and  when 


HISTORY. 


17 


Shishak  (twenty-second  dynasty)  took  Jerusalem, 
the  decline  of  Egypt  had  already  begun. 

4.  The  fourth  stem,  to  which  the  general  name 
of  Lower  Period  is  given,  includes  the  Greek 
dynasty  founded  hy  Alexander  and  that  of  the 
Roman  emperors,  who  were  kings  of  Egypt  hy 
the  same  right  as  Cambyses  and  Darius.  The 
history  of  this  epoch,  entirely  taken  up  as  it  is 
w'itli  a fruitless  competition  for  the  throne,  pos- 
sesses hut  a feeble  interest.  The  traveller  in 
Upper  Egypt,  however,  should  not  pass  it  hy 
because  the  temples  of  Philae,  of  Edfou,  of 
Ombos,  of  Denderah,  and  of  Esneh,  that  is  to 
say,  the  most  complete  monuments  which  we 
possess  of  Egyptian  worship,  belong  to  the 
Lower  Period. 

A primary  division  of  the  kings  of  Egypt  into 
Dynasties,  according  to  the  type  furnished  by 
Manetho,  and  a further  division  of  the  dynasties 
into  Ancient  Empire,  Middle  Empire,  New  Em- 
pire, and  Lower  Period,  such,  then,  is  the  start- 
ing-point of  all  study  of  Egyptian  history,  and 
consequently  the  starting-point  of  the  classifi- 
cation of  all  the  temples  the  tourist  will  meet 
with  in  his  journey  on  the  Nile. 

It  is  evident  that  a history  of  Egypt  would 
3 


18 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


here  he  well  placed,  and  would  be  the  very  best 
preparation  for  the  voyage.  But  we  could  not 
possibly,  without  exceeding  our  limits,  place 
under  the  e}Tes  of  the  reader,  were  it  ever  so 
briefly,  an  account  of  those  events  which  pro- 
cured for  Egypt  so  wide  an  influence  over  the 
destinies  of  the  ancient  world. 

A few  years  since  we  prepared  for  the  use 
of  the  Egyptian  schools  a small  “Apergu  de 
l’Histoire  d’Egypte.”  Those  who  do  not  care  to 
go  very  deeply  into  the  subject,  or  who  would 
be  satisfied  with  general  views,  may  make  them- 
selves acquainted  with  its  pages.  If  more  details 
be  desired,  penned  by  a competent  hand,  let  the 
History  of  M.  Brugsch  be  consulted.* 

III.— CHRONOLOGY. 

Egypt  is  surpassed  by  no  other  nation  in  point 
of  antiquity.  Prehistoric  remains,  it  is  true, 
carry  us  back  to  a much  more  remote  period, 

* “ Histoire  d’Egypte  des  les  premiers  temps  de  son 
existence  jusqu’a  nos  jours,”  part  i.,  comprising  “L’Egypte 
sous  les  rois  indigenes  ” (Hinrichs,  Leipsic,  1859).  See 
also  M.  Francois  Lenormant’s  resume  in  his  “ Manuel 
d’Histoire  ancienne  de  l'Orient,”  vol.  i.,  p.  328  and  follow- 
ing (A.  Levy,  Paris,  1869). 


CHRONOLOGY. 


19 


but  if  we  seek  monuments  that  bear  the  stamp 
of  an  already  refined  civilisation,  the  most 
ancient  are  certainly  to  be  found  in  Egypt. 

But  easy  as  it  may  be  to  believe  in  the  tra- 
dition which  assigns  to  Egypt  so  prodigious  an 
antiquity,  it  is  equally  difficult  to  bring  forward 
scientific  proofs  of  that  antiquity.  Records  of 
eclipses  and  other  astronomical  phenomena, 
which  are  still  wanting,  could  alone  furnish  the 
required  testimony. 

In  the  meantime,  we  have  no  other  source  but 
the  lists  of  Manetho  and  the  dates  inscribed  in 
these  lists.  Unfortunately,  disorder  reigns  su- 
preme here.  Not  only  the  dates  taken  from 
Manetho  are  not  in  accordance  with  extracts 
taken  from  Julius  Africanus  and  Eusebius,  but 
we  possess  two  versions  of  the  Chronicle  of 
Eusebius  the  dates  of  which  do  not  agree  with 
each  other.  On  the  other  hand,  it  too  often 
happens  that  the  hieroglyphs  themselves  fur- 
nish us  with  dates  which  contradict  the  duration 
assigned  to  certain  reigns  by  the  national  his- 
torian. It  will  be  easily  understood,  therefore, 
to  how  much  error  we  are  exposed  when  we 
wish,  for  example,  to  fix  the  date  of  the  founda* 
tion  of  the  Egyptian  monarchy. 

8* 


20 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


And  yet,  for  all  that,  it  must  be  admitted  that 
the  authority  of  Manetho,  an  Egyptian  priest, 
writing  the  history  of  his  own  country  from  the 
archives  of  the  temples,  should  always  carry 
great  weight.  In  vain  is  it  alleged  that  several 
of  the  dynasties  which  he  cites  as  successive 
were  contemporaneous.  If  the  fact  were  proved, 
we  must  evidently  deduct  from  the  total  amount 
the  entire  duration  of  those  dynasties  which 
have  thus  grafted  themselves,  like  so  many 
branches,  upon  the  main  stem.  But  the  sys- 
tem of  contemporaneous  dynasties  is  as  yet 
supported  by  no  really  trustworthy  proof ; on 
the  contrary,  it  seems  certain  that  Manetho  was 
well  aware  that  at  various  epochs  Egypt  was 
governed  simultaneously  by  several  dynasties, 
and  he  availed  himself  of  the  means  of  control 
at  his  disposal  to  strike  out  of  his  work  all  such 
dynasties  as  did  not  belong  to  the  genuine  series 
of  royal  houses  who  succeeded  each  other  on  the 
throne,  so  that  the  latter  were  alone  officially 
enrolled  in  due  order  on  the  register  of  kings. 
It  is  true,  Manetho’s  figures  have  undoubtedly 
suffered  serious  alterations.  But  if  we  consider 
that  they  have  come  down  to  us  through  Chris- 
tian writers,  who  had  an  evident  interest  in 


CHRONOLOGY. 


21 


curtailing  them,  we  shall  see  that,  as  a matter 
of  fact,  far  from  ascribing  too  wide  a range  to 
those  figures,  we  are  bound,  as  fair  critics,  to 
accept  them  as  having  been  systematically  re- 
duced in  their  total  amount. 

The  authority,  then,  of  Manetho  as  a chrono- 
logist  remains  unshaken,  but  on  condition  that 
we  only  take  the  dates  which  he  gives  us  as 
approximate.  Certain  as  it  is  that  those  dates  are 
not  absolutely  exact,  yet  it  is  difficult  to  believe 
that  they  have  been  so  radically  altered  as  not 
in  any  degree  to  come  near  to  the  truth.  Anyhow, 
the  nearer  we  approach  the  source  of  those  altera- 
tions, the  more  we  shall  feel  compelled  to  admit 
that  if  the  lists  could  have  reached  us  intact 
from  the  hand  of  Manetho,  we  would  find  them 
extending  over  a still  wider  range  of  time. 

From  these  remarks  it  will  be  understood  that 
the  following  table  of  Egyptian  dynasties  is  pre- 
sented to  the  reader  under  all  reserve ; and  it 
is  almost  superfluous  to  add  that  the  simulta- 
neous dynasties  are  not  included  here  ; that  the 
dynasties  are  presented  in  the  same  order  as  in 
Manetho ; and,  moreover,  that  the  dates  are, 
with  one  or  two  exceptions,  the  same  as  those 
given  by  the  national  historian  : — 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


Number  of  Dynasty. 

Name  of  Dynasty. 

Duration. 

Date 

B.C. 

ri. 

Tkinite 

253  years 

5004 

W 

ii. 

Tliinite 

302  ,, 

4751 

hi. 

Memphite 

214 

,, 

4449 

IV. 

Memphite 

284  „ 

4235 

w 

V. 

Memphite 

248  „ 

3951 

H 

VI. 

Elephantine 

203  „ 

3703 

W 

VII. 

Memphite 

70  days 

— 

O 

VIII. 

Memphite 

142  years 

3500 

< 

IX. 

Heracleopolite 

109  „ 

3358 

Lx. 

Heracleopolite 

185  „ 

3249 

w 

fXI. 

Theban  ) 

213  „ 

3064 

P4 

XII. 

Theban  } 

XIII. 

Theban 

453  „ 

2851 

XIV. 

Xoite 

184  ,, 

2398 

w 

3 

XV. 

Shepherds  ) 

£ 

Q 

XVI. 

Shepherds  1 

511  „ 

2214 

£ 

IXVII, 

Shepherds  j 

r xviii. 

Theban 

241  „ 

1703 

XIX. 

Theban 

174  „ 

1462 

XX. 

Theban 

178  „ 

1288 

XXI. 

Tanite 

130  „ 

1110 

w 

XXII. 

Bubastite 

170  „ 

980 

£ 

XXIII. 

Tanite 

89  „ 

810 

XXIV. 

Saite 

6 ,, 

721 

w -j 

XXV. 

Ethiopian 

50  „ 

715 

> 

XXVI. 

Saite 

138  „ 

665 

JZJ 

XXVII. 

Persian 

121  „ 

527 

XXVIII. 

Saite 

7 „ 

406 

XXIX. 

Mendesian 

21  „ 

399 

XXX. 

Sebennyte 

38  „ 

378 

^XXXI. 

Persian 

8 „ 

340 

P5  G 

w o 

XXXII. 

Macedonian 

27  „ 

332 

* sJ 

XXXIII. 

Greek 

275  „ 

305 

l 

XXXIV. 

Pioman 

411  „ 

30 

RELIGION. 


23 


IV.— RELIGION. 

Jamblichus,  a writer  who  lived  at  the  end  of 
the  third  century,  represents  the  Egyptians  as 
believing  in  one  God,  unique,  universal,  un- 
create— the  Author  of  his  own  being,  having 
no  beginning,  existing  from  eternity.  Jambli- 
chus goes  on  to  say  that  under  this  supreme  deity 
are  a number  of  other  gods  who  personify  his 
divine  attributes.  Thus  Ammon  is  that  hidden 
force  in  nature  which  brings  all  things  into  life. 

The  supreme  intellect,  in  which  all  other  in- 
tellects are  summed  up,  is  Imothis.  Phtah  is 
the  creative  essence,  which  accomplishes  all 
things  with  perfection  and  with  truth.  Osiris  is 
the  good  and  beneficent  deity.  If  Jamblichus 
is  a faithful  recorder  of  Egyptian  traditions, 
his  statements  would  imply  that,  though  dege- 
nerated by  a belief  in  inferior  gods  personifying 
the  qualities  of  the  Supreme  Being,  a peculiar 
monotheism  was  once  the  foundation  of  the 
Egyptian  religion. 

The  monuments  themselves  give  us  some 
glimpses  of  this  belief.  At  Tell-Amarna,  Aten 
is  often  styled  the  One  God.  At  Thebes  and  at 
Memphis,  Ammon  and  Phtah  are  clothed  with 


24 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


the  attributes  of  the  Supreme  Deity.  Ammon 
is  father  to  himself ; he  is  the  generating  spirit 
from  the  very  commencement,  the  twofold  Being, 
at  once  father  and  mother,  and  existing  from  all 
eternity. 

On  this  foundation  rests  the  whole  edifice  of 
the  Egyptian  religion.  To  the  initiated  of  the 
sanctuary,  no  doubt,  was  reserved  the  know- 
ledge of  the  god  in  the  abstract,  the  god  con- 
cealed in  the  unfathomable  depths  of  his  divine 
essence.  But  for  the  less  refined  adoration  of 
the  people  who  required,  so  to  speak,  a pal- 
pable and  a tangible  god,  were  presented  the 
images  of  the  divinities  sculptured  on  the  walls 
of  the  temples.  Such  are  the  ideas  which  thus 
far  have  been  accepted  by  the  scientific  world, 
and  the  only  classical  authority  on  which  the 
whole  tradition  rests  is  the  passage  in  Jam- 
blichus. 

Unfortunately,  the  more  one  studies  the 
Egyptian  religion,  the  greater  becomes  the  doubt 
as  to  the  character  which  must  definitively  be 
ascribed  to  it.  A most  fertile  source  of  mate- 
rials has  recently  been  placed  at  our  disposal 
by  the  excavations  of  the  temples  of  Denderah 
and  of  Edfou.  From  one  end  to  another,  these 


RELIGION. 


25 


temples  are  covered  with  legends,  and  present 
every  appearance  of  being  two  books  which  treat, 
ex  profcsso,  of  religion  generally  and  more  par- 
ticularly of  the  gods  to  whom  these  temples  are 
dedicated.  But  neither  in  these  temples  nor 
in  those  which  were  previously  known  to  us  does 
the  one  god  of  Jambliclius  appear.  If  Ammon 
at  Thebes  is  the  “first  of  the  first,”  if  Phtah  at 
Memphis  is  the  father  of  all  creation,  without 
beginning  and  without  end,  it  is  because  all  the 
Egyptian  gods  are  in  turn  clothed  with  the  attri- 
butes of  the  Eternal.  In  other  terms,  wre  find 
everywhere  deities  who  are  immortal  and  un- 
created ; hut  nowhere  do  we  find  the  One  and 
invisible  God,  without  name  and  without  form, 
who  presides  from  on  high  over  the  Egyptian 
Pantheon.  Thus  no  indication  to  that  effect  is 
given  by  the  temple  of  Denderah,  the  most  hidden 
inscriptions  of  which  have  now  been  thoroughly 
examined.  What  we  may  rather  gather  from 
the  study  of  this  temple  is  that,  with  the 
Egyptians,  the  universe  itself  was  God,  and 
that  Pantheism  formed  the  basis  of  their  re- 
ligion. We  should,  therefore,  feel  disposed  to 
modify,  in  favour  of  this  view,  the  general 
ideas  which  we  have  expressed  in  the  “ Notice 


2G 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


du  Musee  ” (fourth  edition,  p.  20).  “ The  theo- 

logy of  the  Egyptians,  from  whom  Orpheus  bor- 
rowed his  ideas,”  says  Eusebius  in  his  Evan- 
gelical Preparation,  “ acknowledged  that  the 
universe  is  God,  composed  of  several  divinities 
which  constitute  his  different  parts.”  The 
passage  in  Jamblichus  must,  then,  give  way, 
as  a classical  authority,  to  the  passage  in 
Eusebius. 

However  this  may  be,  and  in  whatever  light 
we  are  to  consider  the  Egyptian  divinities,  an 
equal  amount  of  worship  was  not  paid  to  these 
divinities  in  all  parts  of  Egypt.  Ammon  was 
adored  at  Thebes,  Plitah  at  Memphis,  Cnouphis 
at  Elephantine,  Horus  at  Edfou,  Hathor  at 
Denderah,  Neith  at  Sais,  Soutekh  at  Tanis. 
Thus  Egypt  was  divided,  religiously  as  well  as 
geographicall}’,  into  districts  each  of  which 
possessed  its  local  worship,  and  the  gods  thus 
shared  among  themselves  the  religious  govern- 
ment of  the  country.  An  exception,  however, 
was  made  in  favour  of  Osiris.  The  presiding 
deity  of  the  abode  of  departed  spirits,  Osiris, 
was  the  god  universally  worshipped,  and  was 
equally  venerated  in  all  parts  of  Egypt. 


LANGUAGE  AND  WRITING. 


27 


V.— LANGUAGE  AND  WRITING. 

The  Egyptian  language  is  neither  Semitic  nor 
Indo-European.  It  is  one  of  the  pancipal  types 
of  that  group  of  languages  which  may  be  called 
Chamitic.  The  Coptic  language  is  this  same 
Egyptian  language  as  it  was  spoken  in  the  second 
or  third  century  of  our  era,  when  it  was  used  to 
exjiress  Christian  ideas.* 

There  are  still  many  persons  who  firmly  be- 
lieve that  hieroglyphs  are  nothing  but  a series  of 
riddles  which,  when  taken  collectively,  form  a sort 
of  enigma  to  he  guessed  at,  and  it  must  be  con- 
fessed that  this  error  is  encouraged  by  the  most 
serious  classical  writers  : “The  right  hand  open, 
with  extended  fingers,”  says  Diodorus  Siculus,  “re- 
presents the  desire  of  acquisition;  the  left  hand 
closed,  the  grasping  and  keeping  of  property.” 
“To  express  hatred,”  says  Plutarch,  “they 
depict  a fish.  At  Sais,  in  the  vestibule  of  the 
temple  of  Minerva,  there  were  engraved  a child, 
an  old  man,  a hawk,  a fish,  and  a hippopo- 

* One  should  bear  in  mind  that  when  the  Egyptian 
language  became  merged  into  Coptic  it  had  already 
greatly  degenerated,  so  that  the  Coptic  language  repre- 
sents the  language  of  the  demotic  character  rather  than 
that  of  the  hieroglyphs. 


28 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


tamus.  Evidently  these  were  so  many  symbols 
which  meant : * Oh,  ye  who  are  entering  upon 
life,  and  ye  who  are  ready  to  quit  it,  God  hates 
impudence,  arrogance,  pride  of  heart,  and  self- 
sufficiency.’  Thus  the  entrance  into  life  is  ex- 
pressed by  a child,  death  by  an  old  man,  divinity 
by  a hawk,  hatred  by  a fish,  because  of  the  sea, 
and  impudence  by  the  hippopotamus.”  — “ A vul- 
ture signifies  nature,”  says  Ammianus  Marcel- 
linus.  “Why?  Because  it  is  said  that  amongst 
those  creatures  no  males  are  to  be  found.  A king 
is  symbolised  by  a bee  making  honey.  Why  ? 
Because  the  king  is  the  director  of  his  people,  whom 
he  ought  to  be  able  to  check  by  his  gentleness, 
at  the  same  time  that  he  incites  them.”* 

The  discovery  of  Champollion,  however,  has 

* These  traditions  are  not  entirely  without  foundation. 
A fish  is  pi'onounced  betu,  and  betu  means  evil,  sin, 
abomination.  The  bee  is  pronounced  sekliet,  and  desig- 
nates the  sovereignty  over  Lower  Egypt.  If  the  temple  of 
Minerva  at  Sa'is  belonged  to  the  Lower  Period,  it  may  well 
be  that,  in  accordance  with  the  maniere  spirit  of  the 
times,  and  regardless  of  all  grammatical  connection,  they 
wrotea  child,  an  old  man,  a hawk,  a fish,  a hippopotamus, 
for  what  would  thus  be  rendered,  “ Oh,  child,  oh,  old  man, 
the  divinity  holds  all  evil  in  abomination”  (the  hippopo- 
tamus being  considered  as  a typhonian  animal).  Strictly 
speaking,  therefore,  Diodorus,  Plutarch  and  Ammianus 
Marcellinus  do  not  lead  us  into  absolute  error.  But 


THE  ROSETTA  STONE. 


29 


dispelled  these  errors.  Hieroglyphic  -writing  is 
not  enigmatical;  it  is  read  and  pronounced  just 
as  Hebrew  or  Syriac  is  pronounced,  and  pos- 
sesses an  alphabet  of  its  own. 

The  chief  instrument  of  the  success  of  Cham- 
pollion’s  discovery  is  the  monument  known 
throughout  the  world  as  the  Rosetta  Stone. 

The  Bosetta  Stone  is  a fragment  of  a stela  * 
discovered  in  the  year  1799  by  M.  Boussard, 

what  is  false  is  at  once  the  point  from  whence  they  start 
and  the  conclusion  at  which  they  arrive.  Because  the 
Egyptians  once  made  a play  upon  words  with  child,  old 
man,  &c.,  it  does  not  follow  that  this  sort  of  riddle  should 
be  the  universal  rule  of  all  hieroglyphic  writing.  The 
authors  we  have  been  quoting  seem  to  have  had  no  idea 
that  hieroglyphic  writing  could  be  alphabetic,  and  they 
have  helped  to  keep  up  this  error  until  the  present  time. 

♦This  is  one  of  the  words  most  frequently  used  in 
Egyptian  archaeology,  because  it  designates  a monument 
which  is  found  in  hundreds.  The  stela  is  a rectangular 
flat  stone  generally  rounded  at  the  summit,  and  it  was 
made  use  of  by  the  Egyptians  for  all  sorts  of  inscriptions. 
These  stelae  were,  generally  speaking,  used  for  epitaphs  ; 
they  also  served,  however,  to  transcribe  texts  which  were 
to  he  preserved  or  exhibited  to  the  public,  and  in  this 
latter  case  the  stela  became  a sort  of  monumental  pla- 
card. In  addition  to  the  Rosetta  Stone,  which  is  in  the 
British  Museum,  the  following  are  reckoned  among  the 
most  celebrated  stelae,  viz.  the  Stone  of  San,  the  Stone 
of  Cheops,  the  Tablet  of  Alexander  II.,  the  five  Tablets 
of  Gebel-Barkal,  and  the  Stela  of  Thothmes  III.,  all  of 
which  belong  to  the  Museum  at  Boolak. 


30 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


a French  artillery  officer,  while  digging  entrench- 
ments round  the  town  of  that  name.  It  contains 
a copy  of  a decree  made  by  the  priests  of  Egypt, 
assembled  at  Memphis,  in  honour  of  Ptolemy 
Epiphanes.  This  decree  is  engraved  on  the 
stone  in  three  languages,  or  rather  in  three 
different  writings.  The  first  is  the  hieroglyphic, 
the  grand  old  writing  of  the  monuments ; the 
second  is  the  demotic  character  as  used  by  the 
people  ; and  the  third  is  the  Greek.  But  the 
text  in  Greek  character  is  the  translation  of  the 
two  former.  Up  to  this  time,  hieroglyphs  had 
remained  an  impenetrable  mystery  even  for 
science.  But  a corner  of  the  veil  was  about  to 
be  lifted : in  proceeding  from  the  known  to  the 
unknown,  the  sense  at  all  events  was  at  length 
to  be  arrived  at  of  that  mysterious  writing 
which  had  so  long  defied  all  the  efforts  of 
science.  Many  erudite  scholars  tried  to  solve 
the  mystery,  and  Young,  among  others,  very 
nearly  brought  his  researches  to  a satisfactory 
issue.  But  it  was  Champollion’s  happy  lot  to 
succeed  in  entirely  tearing  away  the  veil. 

Such  is  the  Bosetta  Stone,  which  thus  became 
the  instrument  of  one  of  the  greatest  discoveries 
which  do  honour  to  the  nineteenth  century. 


HIEROGLYPHS. 


31 


Thanks  to  this  discovery,  we  are  now  in  a 
position  to  affirm  that  hieroglyphic  writing  is 
not  an  idle  play  upon  words.  It  is  scarcely 
more  complex  or  more  difficult  to  read  than  an}’ 
other  writing.  When  once  one  can  accustom 


oneself  to  see  an  a in  an  eagle,  a b in  a 

human  leg,  \ , a c in  a bolt,  — h— , and  so  forth, 


the  difficulties  are  soon  overcome.  Wliat  lias 
for  so  many  centuries  distracted  attention  from 
the  true  meaning  of  the  hieroglyphics  is  the 
somewhat  singular  selection  of  the  forms 
adopted  to  represent  the  letters  of  the  alpha- 
bet. A priori,  it  was  natural  to  imagine  that 
this  singular  medley  of  representations  of  ani- 
mals and  of  ordinary  objects  could  only  be  taken 
figuratively;  and  as  a certain  halo  of  mystery 
had  always  enshrouded  all  things  pertaining  to 
Ancient  Egypt,  it  was  quite  natural  to  believe 
that  under  these  symbols  the  priests  concealed 
their  religious  mysteries.  But  now  the  veil  has 
been  rent  asunder,  and  hieroglyphic  writing  has 
become  not  much  more  difficult  to  decipher  than 
any  other  Eastern  character. 

In  consequence  of  the  nature  of  the  signs  of 
which  hieroglyphic  writing  is  composed,  it  can 


32 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


be  written  either  in  vertical  or  in  horizontal 
lines.  In  examining  a hieroglyphic  text,  it  will 
be  easily  observed  that  all  the  heads  of  animals 
or  of  men  are  turned  in  the  same  direction.  It 
is  from  that  side  towards  which  the  heads  are 
turned  that  the  inscription  begins.  Consequently, 
according  to  the  desire  of  the  scribe,  the  hiero- 
glyphs could  be  disposed  in  such  a manner  as 
to  be  read  either  from  left  to  right,  or  from  right 
to  left.* 

In  a hieroglyphic  inscription  there  are  some 
signs  which  should  be  pronounced  and  some 
which  should  not  be  pronounced.  The  former 
are  much  the  most  numerous.  They  include  in 
the  first  place  such  signs  as  are  purely  alpha- 
betical. The  alphabet  itself  contains  twenty- 
four  letters  ; but  there  are  several  different 
forms  for  the  a,  several  for  the  b,  &c.  &c.  In 
the  second  place  they  include  syllabic  signs : 
thus  a chessboard,  rmui'i,.  has  a pronunciation  of 

* The  hieratic  and  demotic  characters  are  more  rapid 
writings  derived  in  different  degrees  from  the  hieroglyphs 
themselves.  They  are  scarcely  ever  employed  except  for 
the  papyri.  One  finds,  however,  at  Gebel-Silsileh  some 
excellent  specimens  of  the  former  of  these  characters  ; 
and  at  Philse  are  to  be  found  engraved  on  the  walls  of  the 
temple  a considerable  number  of  proscynems,  or  ex  votos, 
in  the  demotic  character. 


HIEROGLYPHS. 


33 


its  own,  men;  fin  upright  vase,  0,  is  pronounced 


the  third  place,  they  include  the  ideal  sounds : 
a lion  is  represented  hy  a lion,  a horse  by  a 
horse,  &c.  And  in  the  fourth  jdace  they  in- 
clude symbolic  signs,  that  is  to  say,  such  as 
are  diverted  from  their  true  meaning  in  order  to 

symbolise  an  idea  ; thus  the  vulture,  signi- 
fies mother,  the  cubit,  / 1,  represents  justice,  &c. 

The  signs  not  to  be  pronounced  are  the  exple- 
tives, which  are  used  to  call  the  attention  of  the 
reader  to  the  text  or  to  the  meaning  of  the  word 
they  accompany.  Nor  are  the  very  numerous 
signs  which  Champollion  has  called  determina- 
tives, to  he  pronounced  either.  Thus,  after  all 
names  of  quadrupeds,  the  scribe  draws  the  sign 
which  represents  the  tail  of  a quadruped ; all 
such  words  as  refer  to  speech,  to  thought,  to 
affection,  or  anything  expressing  an  emotion  of 
the  soul,  are  sometimes  followed  hy  the  figure  of 

a man  putting  his  hand  to  his  mouth,  ; a man 

in  a crouching  position  raising  one  arm,  deter- 
mines proper  nouns,  &c.,  &c.  The  crouching 
4 


sound  of  mes,  &c.  In 


34 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


man,  the  man  placing  his  hand  on  his  mouth, 
and  the  tail  of  the  quadruped  are  signs  which 
are  not  pronounced ; but  the  presence  of  these 
signs  points  out  that  the  word  which  precedes 
them  is  either  a proper  noun  or  a 'word  express- 
ing a sentiment,  or  the  name  of  a quadruped, 
& c.  &c. 

Such,  then,  is  the  construction  of  hieroglyphic 
writing  in  its  principal  features.  At  first  sight  it 
seems  complicated  ; but  in  reality  the  use  of 
the  determinatives  affords  great  help,  and,  how*- 
ever  obscure  or  mysterious  a hieroglyphic  text 
may  appear,  it  is  certainly  by  no  means  more 
difficult  to  decipher  than  a Hebrew  text,  nor 
does  its  translation  require  so  great  an  effort  of 
mind  as  that  of  a passage  of  Chinese. 

We  must  not  forget  to  add  that  the  task  of 
interpreting  hieroglyphic  texts  is  facilitated  by 
the  fact  that  the  Coptic  tongue  is  derived  from 
the  language  which  lies  hidden  under  the  ancient 
Egyptian  writing.  And  this  Coptic  tongue,  whose 
connection  with  the  old  language  can  easily  be 
traced,  has  a vocabulary  and  a grammar  well 
known  to  scholars,  and,  although  justly  reckoned 
among  the  dead  languages,  it  continues  to  live 
in  its  literature. 


DECORATION  OF  TEMPLES. 


35 


VI.— GENERALITIES. 

A. — The  decoration  of  the  temples  demands 
some  explanations.  The  reader  knows  already 
that  that  decoration  consists  of  sculptured  pic- 
tures, and  that  these  pictures  are  arranged  side 
by  side  and  in  several  rows  one  above  the  other, 
in  such  a manner  as  to  cover  symmetrically  from 
top  to  bottom  the  walls  of  the  chambers.  The 
reader  is  also  aware  that  all  the  pictures  are 
composed  on  a uniform  plan.  The  king  is  on 
one  side,  the  divinity  on  the  other,  and  the 
texts  accompanying  these  pictures  are  also 
drawn  up  on  one  and  the  same  plan  : on  the 
side  of  the  king,  his  names  and  a few  titles 
in  accordance  with  the  offerings  made,  and 
then  the  words  which  the  king  is  supposed  to 
pronounce ; on  the  side  of  the  divinity,  his 
name  and  titles,  and  an  answer  wherein  gifts 
are  conceded  proportionate  with  the  offering. 
To  give  a general  idea  of  these  pictures  as  to 
disposition  and  style,  we  will  select  for  descrip- 
tion the  whole  lower  row  of  one  of  the  walls  of 
the  corridor  It,  in  the  temple  of  Denderah.* 

* On  the  north  side  of  the  corridor,  the  lower  register 
to  the  left  on  entering. 

4* 


3G 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


1st  ■picture. — The  king  offers  to  the  goddess 
Hathor  the  vase  which  serves  in  hieroglyphics 
to  designate  the  word  heart.  In  token  of  her 
satisfaction,  the  goddess  promises  to  the  king 
all  kinds  of  haqjpiness  and  joy. 

2nd  picture. — Hathor  and  Horus  of  Edfou  are 
standing  up  at  one  end  of  the  picture.  At  the 
other  end,  the  king  makes  an  offering  of  the 
two  sistra,  emblems  which  in  this  temple  repre- 
sent more  particularly  evil  overcome,  and  con- 
sequently happiness.  “ Mayest  thou  he  loved 
hy  women,”  replies  Hathor,  alluding  to  that 
sistrum  which  signifies  happiness  ; “ mayest  thou 
find  favour  with  their  lords.”  Horus,  on  his 
side,  responds  to  the  offering  of  the  other  sis- 
trum : “May  Egypt  conduct  herself  as  thou 
wouldst  have  her ; mayest  thou  tread  under 
foot  all  foreign  countries.” 

3 rd  picture. — The  king  offers  incense  and  a 
libation  to  Osiris-Onnophris  and  to  Isis,  “ to  fill 
their  divine  nostrils  with  the  perfumes  of  incense, 
and  to  refresh  their  hearts  with  the  waters  of  the 
renovated  Nile.”  In  return,  Osiris  promises  the 
king  a favourable  inundation,  while  Isis  vouch- 
safes to  him  a long  dominion  over  Arabia  and  the 
other  countries  which  produce  incense. 


DECORATION  OF  TEMPLES. 


37 


Ath  picture. — The  king  offers  two  vases  full  of 
wine  to  Hathor  and  to  a god  who  seems  to  be 
Horus.  Hathor  promises  him  those  regions 
which  produce  the  best  grapes,  namely,  Kenemen, 
T'est'es,  and  Neham.  Horus  promises  him  wine 
to  satiety. 

5th  picture. — At  the  same  time  that  he  offers 
her  flowers,  the  king  addresses  himself  in  the  fol- 
lowing terms  to  Hathor  : “ I bring  thee  bouquets 
of  flowers  of  all  kinds,  that  thou  mayest  adorn 
thy  head  with  their  colours.”  In  her  answer,  the 
goddess  promises  the  king  that  under  his  reign 
the  land  shall  be  made  merry  with  the  most 
brilliant  verdure. 

6th  picture. — An  offering  of  the  hieroglyph 
wTiich  expresses  fields  is  made  to  Hathor  and  to 
her  son  Hor-sam-ta-ui.  The  god  Ahi,  a dupli- 
cate of  the  person  of  the  king,  considered  as  the 
third  person  of  the  triad,  stands  before  Hathor. 
The  gifts  bestowed  on  the  king  consist  of  corn 
in  immense  quantities,  and  of  cereals  of  all 
kinds. 

7th  picture. — The  king  and  the  queen  offer  the 
two  sistra  to  Isis  and  to  Ahi,  to  solicit  the 
favour  of  these  divinities.  Isis  grants  to  the 
king  the  love  of  his  subjects. 


38 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


8th  picture. — The  king  is  in  the  presence  of 
Isis  and  of  Hor-sam-ta-ui.  He  makes  a general 
offering  of  food,  of  flowers,  of  fruit,  and  of  bread. 
Isis  replies  : “ I give  thee  everything  in  the 
heavens,  all  that  the  earth  produces,  and  every- 
thing that  the  Nile  can  bring.”  Hor-sam-ta-ui 
replies  : “ I give  thee  all  that  emanates  from 
the  rays  of  the  sun,  to  All  thy  dwelling  with 
victuals.” 

The  above  is  a fair  specimen  of  the  pictures  that 
form  the  decoration  of  an  Egyptian  temple,  and 
which  the  visitor  may  invariably  expect  to  meet 
with  on  entering.  These  pictures  always  consist 
of  an  offering  on  the  one  side,  and  a gift  be- 
stowed on  the  other,  the  -whole  being  expressed 
by  a sort  of  dialogue  between  the  personages 
represented. 

B. — In  visiting  an  Egyptian  temple  one  soon 
becomes  accustomed  to  see  in  the  various  cham- 
bers, and  in  the  sculptures  that  adorn  them, 
the  chapters  and  pages  of  a single  book,  con- 
ceived -with  a unity  of  idea  which  develops 
itself  on  the  walls  of  the  temple  from  the  en- 
trance gate  to  the  depths  of  the  sanctuary.  The 
king  is  in  adoration,  and  throughout  this  act 


DECORATION  OF  TEMPLES. 


39 


of  adoration  he  develops  an  idea  common  to  the 
entire  temple : such  is  the  basis  of  the  decora- 
tion of  the  monument. 

In  the  temples  of  Pharaonic  origin  (Karnak, 
Luxor,  Medinet-Abou,  Abydos,  &c.)  this  rule 
does  not  generally  hold  good.  The  decoration 
is  vague.  The  king  adores  the  divinity  of  the 
place,  but  there  is  no  reason  why  the  picture 
should  be  in  one  part  rather  than  in  another ; 
indeed,  one  finds,  at  the  entrance  of  the  temple, 
pictureswhich  might  just  as  well  have  been  placed 
at  the  far  end,  without  their  meaning  being  in  tbe 
least  affected.* 

But  temples  of  Ptolemaic  origin  are  more  pre- 
cise. Their  composition  is  more  scientific.  The 
decoration  of  each  chamber  is  in  accordance  with 
its  purpose.  The  two  chambers  which  at  Edfou 

* The  six  vaulted  chambers  of  the  grand  temple  of 
Abydos  are  an  exception  to  this  rule.  All  the  pictures 
relate  to  ceremonies  which  the  king  ought  successively  to 
perform.  The  king,  presenting  himself  on  the  right  side 
of  the  door,  proceeded  all  round  the  hall,  and  departed  at 
the  left  side.  Statues  were  disposed  around  the  chamber. 
The  king  opened  the  door  of  the  naos,  or  shrine,  in  which 
they  were  inclosed,  and  as  soon  as  he  perceived  the 
statue  he  offered  it  incense,  and,  lifting  the  vestment 
which  covered  it,  he  laid  his  hands  upon  it,  and  perfumed 
t,  and  then  replaced  the  draperies,  &c. 


40 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


and  at  Denderah  are  called  the  treasury  of  the 
temple*  can  be  studied  in  reference  to  this 
subject.  The  king  presents  himself  at  the 
entrance  of  the  chamber,  holding  in  his  hand 
a coffer  in  which  are  inclosed  ingots  of  gold 
and  silver,  and  precious  stones.  In  the  interior 
he  is  represented  as  offering  to  the  divinity  neck- 
laces, sistra,  head-dresses  enriched  with  pre- 
cious stones,  mirrors,  and  sceptres.  In  the  other 
chambers,  t which  are  the  laboratories  of  the 
temple,  the  king  offers  the  sacred  oils,  essences, 
and  aromatics  which  are  there  prepared,  and 
which  serve  either  to  perfume  the  temple  or  to 
anoint  the  statues  of  the  gods.  Now  and  then, 
though  unfortunately  but  seldom,  we  even  find, 
divided  into  several  sections,  the  various  succes- 
sive scenes  of  a common  action.  On  entering 
the  temple  of  Denderah  by  the  magnificent  hall 
of  twenty-four  columns,  we  find  immediately  on 
the  right  four  pictures  which  are  worthy  of  at- 
tention. Before  penetrating  into  the  most  holy 
jfface  the  king  must  submit  to  a certain  initia- 
tion. In  the  first  picture,  he  has  his  sandals  on 

* See  ball  J in  the  subjoined  plan  of  the  temple  of 
Denderah. 

f See  hall  F in  the  plan  of  the  temple  of  Denderah. 


DECORATION  OF  TEMPLES. 


41 


liis  feet  and  his  staff  in  his  hand.  He  enters  the 
temple  preceded  by  live  banners,  which  probably 
accompany  him  along  the  whole  route.  The  next 
picture  shows  us  the  scene  of  purification.  The 
king  is  purified  by  the  flood  of  water  which 
Thoth  and  Horus  are  supposed  to  pour  over 
him  under  the  form  of  a double  jet  of  the  em- 
blems of  life.  In  the  third  picture,  the  king 
receives  the  two  crowns  which  denote  his 
sovereignty  over  Egypt,  from  the  hands  of  the 
goddess  of  the  South  and  the  goddess  of  the 
North.  Thus  crowned,  the  king  is  admitted 
into  the  presence  of  Hathor,  conducted  on 
one  side  by  Mout  of  Thebes,  and  on  the  other 
by  Toum  of  Heliopolis.  He  advances  to  enjoy 
the  felicity  of  contemplating  the  divine  majesty. 
In  return,  the  goddess  promises  him  “ annals 
written  for  eternity,”  i.e.  an  everlasting  glory. 
This  forms  the  subject  of  the  fourth  picture. 
Episodes  no  less  interesting  are  represented  at 
Edfou  in  the  two  first  halls.  The  king  leaves 

* On  entering  the  first  hall  of  the  temple  of  Edfou  one 
perceives  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left  two  small 
edifices  let  into  the  wall  between  the  columns  of  the 
fa9ade.  That  on  the  right  is  the  library ; the  one  on  the 
left  is  the  little  chamber  where  the  king  underwent  the 
ceremonies  of  purification. 


42 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


his  palace  and  comes  to  lay  the  first  stone  of 
the  temple.  He  fashions  a brick  with  his  own 
hands ; he  traces  on  the  ground  the  furrow 
which  shall  mark  the  area  of  the  temple.  He 
lays  a foundation-stone.  He  performs  the  cere- 
mony of  the  presentation  of  the  temple  to  the 
god  in  whose  honour  it  has  been  erected.  On 
this  occasion  he  decapitates  a bird,  &c.  * 

But,  apart  from  these  episodes,  it  is  difficult 
at  first  sight  to  discover  the  idea  which  has 
presided  at  the  decoration  of  a chamber.  This 
idea  can  eventually  be  realised  in  temples  of 
Ptolemaic  origin  (Denderah,  Edfou,  Thebes,  &c.), 
but  we  would  look  for  it  in  vain  elsewhere. 

Q. — By  the  side  of  manj’  temples  of  Ptolemaic 
epoch  may  be  seen  smaller  edifices,  remarkable 
for  the  monstrous  forms  which  decorate  the 
capitals  of  the  columns,  and  which  are  also 
used  as  ornaments  in  various  parts  of  the  inte- 
rior. The  authors  of  the  great  work  of  the 
“ Commission  d'Egypte  ” gave  to  these  temples 
the  name  of  Typhonium.  Cliampollion  called 
them  Mammisi.  According  to  Cliampollion, 

* For  similar  scenes  see  tlie  lower  register  on  the 
right-hand  side  on  entering  the  hall  B of  the  temple  of 
Denderah. 


MAMMISI. 


43 


“ these  Mammisi  were  always  constructed  by 
the  side  of  the  larger  temples  where  a triad  was 
worshipped,  and  they  represented  the  celestial 
abode  where  the  goddess  had  given  birth  to  the 
third  person  of  the  triad.” 

It  must  he  observed  that  the  monstrous  forms 
of  which  we  have  just  been  speaking  have  no- 
thing to  do  with  Typhon,  the  god  of  evil,  and 
the  eternal  enemy  of  Osiris.  The  god  thus 
represented  is  called  Bes  in  the  Egyptian  lan- 
guage. Far  from  presiding  over  evil,  he  is  the 
god  who  symbolises  mirth  and  dancing,  and  it 
is  on  that  account  that  he  so  often  appears  on 
articles  of  the  toilette-table.  As  such  also  his 
image  is  sculptured  on  the  walls  of  the  Mammisi. 
One  sees  by  this  how  unsuitable  is  the  appella- 
tion of  Typhonium.  The  Typhonia  spoken  of  by 
Strabo  in  reference  to  Denderah  were  more  likely 
to  he  the  various  parts  of  the  desert  appropriated 
to  the  necropolis. 

D. — It  is  impossible  to  travel  in  Upper  Egypt 
without  knowing  what  is  meant  by  a cartouche. 
A cartouche  is  that  elongated  oval  terminated 
by  a straight  line  which  is  to  be  seen  on  every 
wall  of  the  Egyptian  temples,  and  of  which  other 


44 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


monuments  also  afford  us  numerous  examples. 
The  cartouche  always  contains  the  name  of  a 
king  or  of  a queen,  or  in  some  cases  the  names 
of  royal  princesses.*  To  designate  a king  -there 
are  most  frequently  two  cartouches  side  by  side. 
The  first  is  called  the  p renomen,  the  second  the 
nomen.  The  prenomen-cartouche  is  usually  pre- 
ceded by  the  titles  of  King  of  Upper  and  Lower 
Egypt,  and  the  nomen-cartouche  by  the  title  of 
Son  of  the  Sun,  represented  thus  : — 


They  are  sometimes  replaced  by  other  titles,  in 
this  way  : — 


* It  is  sometimes  found,  as  for  instance  at  Denderah, 
applied  to  tlie  names  of  gods,  in  which  case  the  gods  are 
considered  as  dynastic. 


CARTOUCHES. 


45 


which  when  interpreted  mean  : Lord  over  Ike  two 
worlds,  Lord  of  crowns. 

Most  frequently  the  cartouches  rest  on  their 
base  in  an  upright  position ; there  is  nothing, 
however,  in  the  structure  of  the  Egyptian  writ- 
ing that  prevents  their  being  placed  horizontally, 
as  in  this  example  : — 


In  visiting  a telnple  the  cartouches  should 
always  he  carefully  studied,  as  they  fix  the  date 
of  the  monument. 

E. — The  cartouches  known  up  to  the  present 
time  are  very  numerous,  hut  for  a journey  into 
Upper  Egypt  it  is  not  necessary  to  be  acquainted 
with  all  of  them.  At  the  risk  of  some  repetition, 
we  will  enumerate  the  epochs  and  names  which 
will  be  most  frequently  met  with  by  the  traveller 
in  those  regions. 

During  an  excursion  into  Upper  Egypt  we  find 
no  traces  of  the  three  first  dynasties,  unless, 


46 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


perhaps,  it  be  the  step-shaped  P}rramid  of  Sak- 
karah.  The  Great  Pyramids  (those  of  Cheops, 
Chephren  and  Myeerinus)  belong  to  the  IVth 
dynasty.  The  tombs  of  Till  and  Phtah-hotep, 
and  all  the  tombs  which  are  visited  at  Sakkarak 
belong  to  the  Vth.  To  find  records  of  the  VIth, 
the  traveller  must  visit  some  less  frequented 
spots,  such  as  Zawyet-el-Maitin,  Qasr-es-sayad, 
and  the  El-Kab  rocks.  The  necropolis  of  Abydos 
has  supplied  the  Museum  at  Boolak  with  some 
valuable  stelae  of  the  VPh  dynasty. 

The  VIIth,  VIIIth,  IXth  and  Xth  dynasties  are 
a complete  blank.  There  is  no  monument  known 
which  can  he  assigned  to  this  period  with  any 
degree  of  certainty. 

The  XIth  dynasty  is  a revival.  Thebes  then 
becomes  a capital  for  the  first  time ; and  the 
tombs  of  this  XIth  dynasty  are  found  in  that 
part  of  the  necropolis  of  Thebes  which  is  called 
Drah-abou’l-neggah. 

The  XIIth  dynasty  is  represented  by  the  tombs 
of  Beni-Hassan,  and  the  names  of  its  kings  often 
occur  in  the  necropolis  of  Abydos.  During  the 
excavations  made  at  Karnak,  we  have  discovered 
many  fragments  of  statues  and  of  tables  of  offer- 
ings belonging  to  this  period. 


EGYPTIAN  DYNASTIES. 


47 


The  XIIIth  and  XIVth  dynasties  have  left  but 
few  traces.  Scarcely  any  cartouches  of  the  kings 
of  this  period  figure  on  the  scarabcei  and  statues 
found  in  the  necropolis  of  Abydos.  Near  As- 
souan, and  in  the  isle  of  Sehel  (first  Cataract) 
the  names  of  some  kings  of  the  XIIIth  dynasty 
are  sculptured  on  the  rocks. 

The  next  three  dynasties  are  taken  up  by  the 
Shepherd  Kings.  Another  great  blank  occurs 
here  in  the  monumental  history.  The  national 
life  is  extinguished.  We  only  find  traces  of  the 
Shepherds  in  Lower  Egypt,  and  more  particu- 
larly at  San  (the  Tanis  of  the  Bible). 

In  Thebes  alone  are  concentrated  the  XVIIIth, 
XIXth  and  XXth  dynasties.  Egypt  revives  after 
the  expulsion  of  the  Shepherds,  and  civilisation 
takes  a considerable  start.  Ivarnak  is  enlarged ; 
Deir-el-Bahari  is  built,  together  with  Luxor,  the 
temple  of  Goornah,  the  Bameseum  and  Medinet- 
-Abou.  In  the  Valley  of  the  West,  and  at  Bab- 
-el-Molouk,  vaults  are  excavated  which  are 
destined  to  serve  as  tombs  to  the  kings  of 
these  three  dynasties. 

The  XXIst  dynasty  was  twofold.  At  Thebes 
the  high  priests  of  Ammon  usurped  the  power, 
and  had  themselves  proclaimed  kings.  They 


48 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


finished  the  temple  of  Klions.  During  this 
time  the  legitimate  dynasty  reigned  at  Tanis, 
and  under  its  sway  some  additions  were  made 
to  the  temple  of  that  city. 

Of  the  XXIInd  and  the  three  following  dynas- 
ties we  find  hut  few  monumental  traces.  This 
period  is  marked  by  severe  struggles  in  the 
north  and  in  the  south.  The  wall  called  the 
Wall  of  the  Bubastites  at  Karnak  dates  from 
the  XXIInd  dynasty.  A part  of  the  southern- 
most wall  of  Karnak  and  a small  temple  built 
on  the  north  side,  at  the  very  foot  of  the  in- 
closing wall,  hear  the  names  of  Sahacon  and 
Tahraka,  Ethiopian  kings  of  the  XXVth  dynasty. 

The  XXVIth  dynasty  (the  third  renaissance) 
occupied  itself  but  little  with  Upper  Egypt.  Its 
seat  of  government  was  Sa'is.  Names  of  some 
of  its  kings,  however,  are  to  be  found  on  the 
leaning  column  of  the  great  hall  at  Karnak  and 
on  the  large  columns  at  Luxor. 

The  XXVIIth  dynasty  belongs  to  the  Persians. 
The  XXVIIIth,  XXIXth  and  XXXth  correspond 
to  an  anxious  period,  during  which  Egypt, 
naturally  kept  uneasy  by  the  presence  of  the 
Persians,  had  other  things  to  think  of  than  the 
erection  of  monuments. 


EGYPTIAN  DYNASTIES. 


49 


The  Persians  have  left  some  souvenirs  on  the 
rocks  of  the  valley  of  Hamamat,  near  Keneli. 
One  finds  here  and  there  traces  of  Achoris  and 
of  Nepherites  on  the  walls  of  Medinet-Abou, 
and  in  the  subterranean  tombs  of  Abd-el- 
-Goornah  ; and  to  Nectanebo  II.  we  owe  the 
most  ancient  constructions  in  the  isle  of  Philte. 

The  XXXIst  dynasty  again  belongs  to  the 
Persians.  Darius  was  then  king  ; he  was  over- 
thrown by  Alexander,  who  commenced  the 
XXXIInd  dynasty.  His  son,  Alexander  II., 
constructed  the  portal  the  uprights  of  which 
are  still  standing  at  Elephantine.  The  granite 
sanctuary  at  Karnak  was  restored  by  Philip. 

Next  come  the  Ptolemies.  Pliiladelplius 
(Ptolemy  II.)  builds  an  important  portion  of 
Pliike,  and  he  appropriates  to  his  own  car- 
touches  some  spaces  left  unoccupied  by  his 
predecessors  on  the  vast  monumental  walls  of 
Karnak.  Euergetes  I.  (Ptolemy  III.)  raised  in 
front  of  the  temple  of  Klions  at  Thebes  the 
magnificent  gateway  which  corresponds  to  the 
other  portal  situated  to  the  north,  and  which 
was  also  erected  by  this  prince.  Philopator 
(Ptolemy  IV.)  founded  on  the  left  bank  of  the 
Nile  the  pretty  little  temple  of  Deir-el-Medineh, 
5 


50 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


and  he  also  commenced  the  admirable  edifice 
of  Edfou.  At  Philae  are  found  the  cartouches  of 
Epiphanes  (Ptolemy  V.),  as  well  as  those  of 
Philometor  (Ptolemy  VI.)  who  again  appears 
at  Karnak,  and  whose  name  is  also  found  at  the 
end  of  the  liypostyle  hall  at  Esneli.  Euergetes 
II.  (Ptolemy  IX.)  built  the  little  temple  which 
stands  on  the  western  side  of  the  temple  of 
Khons  at  Karnak,  and  here  and  there  engraved 
his  cartouche  on  unoccupied  corners  at  Medinet- 
-Abou,  at  Deir-el-Bahari  and  at  Karnak.  Under 
him  the  temples  of  Philae  and  of  Edfou  were 
enlarged,  and  that  of  Ombos  and  the  speos 
were  commenced. 

Soter  II.  (Ptolemy  X.)  and  Alexander 
(Ptolemy  XI.)  followed  the  steps  of  their  pre- 
decessors and  paid  esjaecial  attention  to  Edfou. 
The  latter  prince  founded  Denderah.  At 
Ombos,  at  Edfou,  at  Denderah  and  at  Philae, 
numerous  traces  are  found  of  Dionysius 
(Ptolemy  XIII.),  while  Caesarion,  the  son  of 
Cleopatra,  figures  at  Denderah  and  at  Erment. 

When  Egypt  had  become  Roman,  the 
emperors  reigned  there  with  the  title  of  suc- 
cessors of  the  Pharaohs,  and  founded  the 
XXXIVth  and  last  dynasty.  The  emperors 


EGYPTIAN  DYNASTIES. 


51 


followed  the  traditions  of  the  Ptolemies. 
Augustus,  Tiberius,  Caligula,  Claudius  and 
Nero  continued  the  decorations  of  Denderah, 
and  Tiberius  founded  its  magnificent  pronaos. 
The  names  of  the  same  princes  are  found  at 
Phil*  and  at  Esneh.  Nero’s  name  also  appears 
at  Ombos.  Nerva  figures  at  Esneh,  Trajan  on 
the  Mammisi  of  Denderah,  Adrian  at  Philae,  and 
Marcus  Aurelius  at  Esneh.  Decius  (a.d.  250) 
is  the  last  emperor  whose  name  is  recorded  on 
the  monuments.  He  abruptly  closes  the  list 
which  is  never  to  open  again. 

To  sum  up,  those  who  do  not  wish  to  go  ' 
any  deeper  into  the  subject  may  content  them- 
selves with  remembering  the  names  of  the 
following  dynasties  and  localities  : — 

IVth  dynasty. — The  Pyramids. 

IVth  and  Vth  dynasties. — Sakkarah. 

XIIth  dynasty.  — Beni-Hassan.  Necropolis  of 
Abydos. 

XIIIth  dynasty. — Necropolis  of  Abydos. 

XVIIIth,  XIXth,  and  XXth  dynasties. — Thebes  on 
both  banks  of  the  Nile. 

XXIInd  dynasty. — The  wall  of  the  Bubastites  at 
Karnak. 

5 * 


52 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


XXVth  dynasty. — Tlie  small  temple  of  Sabacon 
on  the  north  side  of  Karnak. 

XXVIth  dynasty. — The  columns  at  Karnak  and 
at  Luxor. 

XXVIIth  dynasty. — The  Hamamat  rocks. 
XXXIInd  dynasty. — The  gateway  at  Elephantine. 

The  granite  sanctuary  at  Karnak. 

XXXIIIrd  dynasty. — The  Ptolemies  at  Denderah, 
at  Erment,  at  Esneh,  at  Omhos,  and  at 
Philas. 

XXXIVth  dynasty.— The  Eoman  Emperors  at 
Denderah  and  at  Esneh. 

Of  all  those  royal  families,  the  IVth,  the  Xllth, 
the  XVIIIth,  the  XIXth,  and  the  Ptolemies  have 
undoubtedly  left  the  most  numerous  marks  of 
their  presence  on  the  Egyptian  soil. 

p. — There  is  no  need  to  enlarge  upon  the 
importance  of  the  monuments  that  cover  the 
hanks  of  the  Nile.  They  are  the  witnesses  of 
Egypt’s  former  greatness,  and,  so  to  speak,  the 
patents  of  her  ancient  nobility.  They  represent 
in  the  eyes  of  strangers  the  tattered  pages  of 
the  archives  of  one  of  the  most  glorious  nations 
in  the  world. 


THE  RESPECT  DUE  TO  HISTORICAL  MONUMENTS.  53 


But  the  higher  the  esteem  in  which  we  hold 
Egypt’s  monuments,  the  more  it  behoves  us  to 
preserve  them  with  care.  On  their  preservation 
partly  depends  the  progress  of  those  interesting 
studies  which  have  for  their  object  the  history  of 
ancient  Egypt.  Moreover,  they  are  worthy  of 
being  preserved,  not  only  for  the  sake  of  all 
such  among  us  as  appreciate  them,  hut  also  for 
the  sake  of  future  Egyptologists.  Five  hundred 
years  hence  Egypt  should  still  be  able  to  show 
to  the  scholars  who  shall  visit  her  the  same 
monuments  that  we  are  now  describing.  The 
amount  of  information  already  obtained  from 
the  deciphering  of  hieroglyphs,  though  this 
science  is  still  in  its  infancy,  is  already 
immense.  What  will  it  be  when  several 
generations  of  savants  shall  have  studied 
those  admirable  ruins,  of  which  one  may  truly 
say  that  the  more  they  are  known,  the  more 
they  repay  the  labour  bestowed  upon  them  ? 

We  therefore  earnestly  beg  again  and  again 
all  travellers  in  Upper  Egypt  to  abstain  from 
the  childish  practice  of  writing  their  names  on 
the  monuments.  Let  any  one,  for  instance,  visit 
Tib’s  tomb,  at  Sakkarah,  and  he  will  rest  satis- 
fied that  this  tomb  has  actually  suffered  more 


54 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


damage  by  the  hand  of  tourists,  during  the  last 
ten  years,  than  it  had  during  the  whole  of  the 
previous  six  thousand  years  of  its  existence. 
Sethi  I.’s  beautiful  tomb  at  Bab-el-Molouk  is 
almost  entirely  disfigured,  and  it  is  all  we 
can  do  to  prevent  the  evil  from  increasing.  M. 
Ampere,  who  visited  Egypt  in  1844,  has,  per- 
haps, overstepped  the  mark  in  the  following 
lines  extracted  from  his  journal ; yet  we  will 
transcribe  them  to  show  to  what  opprobrium 
those  travellers  expose  themselves  who  thought- 
lessly engrave  their  names  on  the  monuments  : 
“ The  first  thing  that  strikes  one  on  approach- 
ing the  monument  (Pompey’s  Pillar)  is  the 
number  of  names  traced  in  gigantic  characters 
by  travellers,  who  have  thus  impertinently  en- 
graved a record  of  their  obscurity  on  the  time- 
honoured  column.  Nothing  can  be  more  silly 
than  this  mania,  borrowed  from  the  Greeks, 
which  disfigures  the  monuments  when  it  does 
not  altogether  destroy  them.  In  many  places, 
hours  of  patient  toil  have  been  expended  in 
carving  on  the  granite  the  large  letters  which 
dishonour  it.  How  can  any  one  give  himself  so 
much  trouble  to  let  the  world  know  that  an 
individual,  perfectly  unknown,  has  visited  a 


THE  VANDALISM  OF  TOURISTS. 


monument,  and  tliat  this  unknown  individual 
has  mutilated  it  ? ” We  recommend  the  perusal 
of  the  above  lines  to  the  young  American  traveller 
who,  in  1870,  visited  all  the  ruins  in  Upper 
Egypt  with  a pot  of  tar  in  one  hand  and  a 
brush  in  the  other,  leaving  on  all  the  temples 
the  indelible  and  truly  disgraceful  record  of  his 
passage.* 

G.-We  have  no  advice  to  give  to  those 
travellers  -who  wish  to  purchase  anticpiities  and 
to  take  them  home  as  souvenirs  of  their  visit  to 
Egypt.  They  will  find  more  than  one  excellent 
factory  at  Luxor. 

But  to  travellers  who  wish  really  to  turn 
their  journey  to  some  account,  we  would  recom- 
mend the  search  after  papyri.  In  fact,  there  is 
nothing  in  the  way  of  monuments  more  precious 
than  a papyrus.  One  knows  fairly  well  what  may 

* As  to  the  two  Dutch  officials,  the  oue  an  admiral,  the 
other  a consul-general,  who  have  thought  it  right  to 
apprise  unhorn  generations  of  their  visit  to  the  temples 
in  18C8,  by  writing  then-  names  and  full  titles  in  huge 
letters  over  the  entrance  gate  of  Denderah  and  in  other 
conspicuous  places,  the  translator  must  beg  leave  to  say 
that  men  parading  such  titles  ought  to  seek  a more  honour- 
able way  of  transmitting  their  names  to  posterity. 


56 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPEK  EGYPT. 


be  expected  from  a temple  or  from  a tomb  ; but 
with  the  papyrus  one  is  in  the  dark.  In  fact, 
such  a papyrus  might  be  discovered  as  would 
prove  of  more  importance  than  an  entire  temple  ; 
and  certain  it  is  that  if  ever  one  of  those  dis- 
coveries that  bring  about  a revolution  in  science 
should  be  made  in  Egyptology,  the  world  will  be 
indebted  for  it  to  a papyrus. 

As  all  excavations  are  interdicted  in  Egypt  and 
no  permissive  firman  has  ever  been  given,  one 
might  imagine  that  opportunities  of  purchasing 
papyri  can  never  present  themselves.  Such, 
however,  is  not  the  case.  All  travellers  in 
Upper  Egypt  must  have  seen  fellahs  working  in 
those  parts  of  the  ruins  where  the  crude-brick 
walls  are  crumbling  into  powder.  "What  they 
are  seeking  is  the  dust  which  comes  from  the 
crumbling  bricks,  and  which  they  use  for 
manure.  Now  and  then,  however,  a piece  of 
good  luck  awaits  them,  and  it  is  not  an  un- 
common occurrence  for  a papyrus  to  be  found 
in  this  manure.  Nor  must  it  be  forgotten  that, 
in  spite  of  all  prohibitions,  clandestine  searches 
are  made,  particularly  at  Thebes,  and  in  this 
way  also,  among  many  other  monuments,  papyri 
may  be  discovered.  It  is  for  the  traveller  to 


THE  VALUE  OF  PAPYRI. 


57 


make  inquiries  and  to  examine  into  tlie  matter, 
not  at  Thebes  only,  but  at  all  tlie  stations  where 
the  clahabeah  stops.  The  fine  collection  of  Mr. 
Harris,  at  Alexandria,  was  formed  in  no  other 
manner ; and  it  was  by  mere  accident  that 
Madame  d’Orbiney  purchased  the  papyrus,  now 
in  the  British  Museum,  which  has  rendered  her 
name  famous.  In  the  present  state  of  Egypt- 
ology, no  greater  service  can  be  rendered  to 
science  than  in  securing  any  papyrus  which 
accidentally  falls  into  the  hands  of  the  fellahs, 
and  which,  sooner  or  later,  must  he  entirely  lost, 
if  not  thus  preserved  from  destruction. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  MONUMENTS. 


The  railway  which  connects  Cairo  with  Alex- 
andria has  reduced  the  latter  city  to  a mere 
station  on  the  route  to  Egypt  from  Marseilles, 
from  Brindisi,  from  Trieste,  or  from  Southamp- 
ton. Travellers  seldom  stop  now  at  Alexandria, 
and  the  real  Egyptian  journey  commences  at 
Cairo. 

People  visit  Egypt  because  Egypt  is  the 
East,  because  Egypt  is  one  of  those  illustrious 
countries  which  every  man  of  refined  culture 
feels  it  incumbent  upon  him  to  visit ; but 
travellers  would  certainly  be  far  less  numerous 
if  beyond  Cairo  there  were  not  the  still  greater 
attraction  of  the  glorious  ruins  of  Upper  Egypt. 

Some  travellers  pass  the  first  Cataract  and 
proceed  as  far  as  Wady-Halfa.  But  the  greater 
number  stop  at  Assouan,  and  we  also  shall  make 
the  lovely  island  of  Phil®  the  extreme  limit  of 
our  journey  on  the  Nile,  in  this  Handbook. 


GO 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


The  Upper  Egypt  railway  at  present  extends 
to  Siout,  hut  that  is  practically  of  little  avail ; for 
at  the  end  of  the  railway  journey,  even  if  the 
roadways  were  not  to  fail  him,  the  traveller 
would  find  neither  carriages,  nor  horses,  nor 
any  animals  for  riding,  capable  of  sustaining 
a long  and  continuous  journey.  There  remains 
then  but  one  other  mode  of  journeying,  and  that 
is  along  the  Nile  itself,  which,  in  fact,  is  the  one 
high  road  of  Egypt.  Therefore,  immediately  on 
his  arrival  at  Cairo,  the  traveller  would  do  well 
to  take  steps  to  secure  either  the  dahabeah  or 
the  steamer  which  is  to  convey  him  throughout 
his  journey. 

But  while  the  necessary  preparations  are 
going  on,  there  is  plenty  to  be  seen  in  Cairo 
itself,  and  many  an  antiquity  to  he  studied  in 
the  immediate  vicinity,  which  will  well  repay  a 
visit. 

It  is  with  these  antiquities  that  we  will  begin 
our  description. 


EXCURSIONS 


IN  THE  ENVIRONS  OF  CAIRO. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Cairo  are  found  the 
ruins  of  two  equally  famous  cities,  Heliopolis  and 
Memphis.  The  former  is  situated  to  the  north- 
east of  Cairo,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Nile,  and 
the  latter  to  the  south-west,  on  the  left  bank. 

The  ruins  of  Heliopolis  consist  only  of  an 
immense  inclosure,  in  the  centre  of  which 
stands  an  obelisk.  The  ruins  of  Memphis 
comprise,  besides  the  town  properly  so  called, 
of  which  the  remains  are  seen  at  Mitrahyneh, 
two  vast  cemeteries,  namely  the  Pyramids  and 
Sakkaarh. 

Heliopolis,  the  Pyramids,  Mitrahyneh,  and 
Sakkarah,"  these  then  are  the  four  localities  of 
which  we  will  give  the  description  in  this  first 
chapter. 

I.— HELIOPOLIS. 

A carriage-road  leads  from  Cairo  to  Heliopolis, 
passing  by  the  palace  of  the  Abbassieli,  one  of 
the  residences  of  the  Khedive,  and  by  Matarieh, 


02 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


a village  rendered  famous  by  a miraculous  well 
and  a sycamore,  known  by  the  name  of  tbe 
Virgin's  tree. 

Matarieh  is  distant  eight  kilometres,  or  five 
English  miles,  from  Cairo,  and  about  half  a mile 
further  on  are  the  ruins  of  Heliopolis. 

Heliopolis  was  called  An  in  Egyptian,  or  On 
in  Hebrew.  It  was  pre-eminently  the  city  of 
Ra,  or  the  city  of  the  Sun ; hence  its  Greek 
appellation.  In  ancient  classical  times  Helio- 
polis enjoyed  the  reputation  of  being  a sacer- 
dotal city,  celebrated  for  its  college  of  priests. 
Solon,  Plato,  and  Eudoxus  studied  there.  Not 
that  Heliopolis  wras  either  an  extensive  or  a 
populous  city,  although  a census  taken  under 
Eameses  III.  ascribes  to  one  only  of  its  temples 
a population  of  twelve  thousand  inhabitants. 

The  history  of  Heliopolis  may  be  written  in  a few 
lines.  The  edifice  “ of  barbarous  construction,” 
of  which  Strabo  speaks,  must  have  resembled  in 
its  architecture  the  temple  of  Armachis  at  the 
Pyramids  of  Geezeh,  which  proves  that  this  city 
was  already  in  existence  under  the  Ancient  Em- 
pire. Usertasen’s  obelisk,  which  is  still  stand- 
ing, connects  Heliopolis  with  the  XIIth  dynasty, 
and  some  blocks  of  stone,  discovered  during  our 


HELIOPOLIS. 


G3 


excavations  in  1858,  further  show  that  Thothrfi.es 
III.  enlarged  one  of  its  temples.  When  then  did 
the  decline  of  Heliopolis  begin  ? Was'  it  through 
the  fury  of  Cambyses,  as  Strabo  asserts,  that  its 
edifices  were  laid  low?  We  cannot  tell.  Any- 
how, Strabo,  who  visited  Egypt  only  a few  years 
before  our  era,  describes  it  as  almost  a wilder- 
ness, and  nothing  now  remains  of  it  but  the 
inclosing  wall  of  the  principal  temple  and  the 
obelisk  which  stands  in  the  centre.  We  speak 
advisedly  when  wre  say  “the  inclosing  wall  of 
the  principal  temple,”  for  the  high  and  extensive 
walls  which  form  the  enceinte  of  Heliopolis 
must  not  be  mistaken  for  the  walls  of  the  city 
itself.  It  is  true  one  may  still  see  round  the 
obelisk,  and  even  at  some  distance  from  it,  re- 
mains of  demolished  walls  and  vestiges  of  dwell- 
ings, which  one  is  quite  prepared  to  imagine  are 
the  remains  of  the  houses  of  the  city.  But  what 
occurred  at  Medinet-Abou,  at  Denderah,  at  Aby- 
dos  and  in  many  other  places,  took  place  also 
at  Heliopolis.  When  their  religion  was  abolished, 
the  Egyptians,  having  become  Christians,  that  is 
to  say  Copts,  made  use  of  the  sacred  edifices  as 
habitations,  and  the  precincts  of  the  temples, 
until  then  considered  as  inviolable  and  holy, 


G4 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


were  covered  with  the  dwellings  of  the  people. 
The  ruins,  then,  that  surround  the  obelisk  at 
Heliopolis  are  not  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  city, 
but  those  of  the  Coptic  town  which,  at  the  down- 
fall of  the  ancient  gods  of  Egypt,  replaced  the 
pagan  constructions,*  and  the  large  encircling 
wall,  which  marks  their  limit,  extensive  though 
it  be,t  is  but  the  enceinte  of  the  temple. 

As  for  the  obelisk  itself,  it  should  be  regarded 
with  interest,  for  it  is  the  oldest  in  Egypt.  It 
bears,  in  fact,  the  cartouches  of  Usertasen  I., 
the  second  king  of  the  XIIth  dynasty.  It  is  a 
little  more  than  sixty- six  English  feet  high.  For- 
merly a casing  of  copper,  of  pyramidal  form, 
covered  its  point,  which  still  existed  in  the  time 
of  Abd-el-Latyf.  t 

* Of  the  town,  properly  so  called,  nothing  now  remains. 
One  may  generally  recognise  the  site  of  ancient  cities  by 
the  grey  or  red  heaps  of  rubbish  formed  by  the  crumbling  of 
the  brick-built  houses  one  over  the  other,  and  these  mounds 
are  grouped  in  regular  order  round  the  vast  encircling 
walls,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood  the  temples.  But 
there  is  nothing  of  the  sort  here.  Like  Memphis,  Helio- 
polis has  paid  the  penalty  of  its  proximity  to  Cairo,  and 
the  city  has  entirely  disappeared. 

f It  measures  about  four  thousand  English  feet  by  three 
thousand. 

1 An  Arab  doctor  of  Bagdad  who  visited  Egypt  about 
1190  A.D. 


pharaoh’s  needles. 


05 


A second  obelisk  completed  with  this  one  the 
decoration  of  the  principal  frontage  of  the  temple, 
for  which  these  two  monoliths  had  been  erected ; 
but  it  was  already  fallen  down  and  broken  in 
two  in  the  days  of  the  Arabian  historian  we 
have  just  named,*  and  nowit  has  entirely  dis- 
appeared. 

II.— THE  PYRAMIDS. 

The  excursion  to  the  Pyramids,  like  the  ex- 
cursion to  Heliopolis,  is  usually  made  by  car- 
riage. The  route  lies  through  the  new  quarter 
of  Cairo,  called  after  its  founder,  Ismailia. 
The  Nile  is  crossed  by  the  Kasr-el-Nil  bridge, 

* This  is  the  passage  from  Ahd-el-Latyf : “ It  is  in  this 
city  that  are  found  the  two  famous  obelisks  called 
Pharaoh's  tivo  needles.  These  obelisks  consist  of  a square 
base,  six  cubits  long  and  six  cubits  wide,  and  of  about  the 
same  height,  resting  firmly  on  its  foundation.  Above  this 
base  rises  a square  column  of  pyramidal  form.  . . . 

Its  summit  is  covered  with  a sort  of  funnel-shaped  casing 
of  copper,  which  descends  about  three  cubits  from  the 
top.  This  copper,  from  the  effects  of  rain  and  the  lapse 
of  years,  has  rusted  and  turned  green,  and  this  green 
rust  has  discoloured  the  shaft  of  the  obelisk.  Its  entire 
surface  is  covered  with  the  sort  of  writing  of  which  we 
have  been  speaking.  I noticed  that  one  of  these  obelisks 
had  fallen  down,  and  by  the  enormity  of  its  own  weight 
was  broken  in  two;  the  copper  which  covered  its  summit 
had  been  removed.” 


6 


66 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


ancl  one  soon  enters  the  charming  road  con- 
structed by  his  highness  the  Khedive,  which 
leads  from  Geezeh  to  the  foot  of  the  Pyramids. 
From  the  Esbekveli  to  the  Pyramids  the . dis- 
tance in  a straight  line  is  twelve  kilometres,  or 
about  seven  miles  and  a half.  There  are  8,300 
metres,  or  5 miles  280  yards  from  the  banks 
of  the  Nile  to  the  tableland  on  which  stand  the 
monuments  we  are  about  to  describe. 

The  admiration  in  which  the  Pyramids  have 
been  held  for  so  many  centuries,  and  which  has 
gained  for  them  a place  among  the  seven 
wonders  of  the  world,  is  indeed  well  deserved. 
It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  this  admira- 
tion is  not  generally  felt  when  the  visitor  first 
reaches  the  foot  of  these  far-famed  monuments. 
The  fact  is,  the  immensity  of  the  surrounding 
desert  and  the  want  of  some  point  of  comparison 
effectually  diminish  the  apparent  size  of  the 
Pyramids,  and  prevent  their  being  at  first  sight 
thoroughly  appreciated.  But  they  soon  grow 
upon  one,  and  assume  their  true  proportions. 
And  then  one  experiences  a feeling  of  amaze- 
ment at  the  immensity  of  those  constructions. 
One  sees  in  them  the  most  lofty,  the  most 
durable,  the  most  stupendous  monuments  under 


THE  PYRAMIDS. 


67 


heaven  that  have  ever  been  erected  by  the  hand 
of  man.  The  Pyramids  are  already  six  or  seven 
thousand  years  old,  but  there  is  no  reason  why 
one  hundred  thousand  years  hence  they  should 
not  be  in  the  same  state  as  we  see  them  at  the 
present  day,  provided  no  ignorant  or  profane 
hand  he  laid  against  them. 

The  three  great  Pyramids  are  the  tombs  of 
Cheops,  of  Chephren,  and  of  Mycerinus  ; the 
smaller  ones  are  the  tombs  of  members  of  the 
families  of  those  kings.  The  Great  Pyramid  was 
formerly  146  metres  high  (479  English  feet),  but 
in  its  present  state  it  measures  only  138  metres 
(about  453  English  feet) ; its  cube  is  of  no  less 
than  2,562,57 6 metres,  and  it  covers  an  area  of 
more  than  eleven  English  acres.  All  the  stories 
which  in  accordance  with  Herodotus  have  been 
told  about  the  hatred  those  kings  had  brought 
upon  themselves,  in  consequence  of  the  drudgery 
inflicted  upon  the  Egyptians  who  worked  in  the 
construction  of  the  Pyramids,  may  now  he  con- 
sidered mere  idle  tales.  The  contemporaneous 
monuments — witnesses  far  more  worthy  of  belief 
than  Herodotus — tell  us,  in  fact,  that  during 
their  lifetime  and  after  their  death,  Cheops  and 
Chephren,  equally  with  all  other  kings,  were 
6 * 


68 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


honoured  with  a special  worship.  As  for  My- 
cerinus,  he  was  so  pious  a king  that  he  is  quoted 
in  the  Ritual  as  the  author  of  one  of  the  most 
renowned  works  in  the  religious  literature  of 
Egypt. 

As  to  the  especial  purpose  for  which  the 
Pyramids  were  intended,  it  is  doing  violence  to 
all  that  we  know  of  Egypt,  to  all  that  archaeology 
has  taught  us  on  the  subject  of  the  monumental 
habits  of  this  country,  to  imagine  for  a moment 
that  they  could  ever  have  been  intended  for 
aught  else  hut  tombs.  The  Pyramids  are  tombs, 
massive,  entire,  everywhere  hermetically  sealed, 
even  in  their  most  carefully  constructed  passages  ; 
without  windows,  without  doors,  without  ex- 
ternal openings  of  any  kind.  They  are  the 
gigantic  and  ever  impenetrable  sepulchre  of  a 
mummy,  and  even  had  one  of  them  exhibited  in 
its  interior  an  accessible  passage  from  whence, 
as  from  the  bottom  of  a well,  astronomical 
observations  could  have  been  made,  that  Pyramid 
would  not  have  been  in  accordance  with  its 
purpose.  In  vain  shall  it  be  said  that  the  four 
sides  turned  to  the  different  points  of  the  com- 
pass denote  an  astronomical  intention ; the  four 
sides  are  thus  set  because  they  are  dedicated  for 


THE  PYRAMIDS. 


69 


mythological  reasons  to  the  four  cardinal  points, 
and  in  a monument  so  carefully  constructed  as 
a Pyramid,  a side  dedicated  to  the  north,  for 
example,  could  not  by  any  possibility  be  turned 
to  any  other  point  but  the  north.  The  Pyramids, 
then,  are  nothing  hut  tombs,  and  their  enormous 
bulk  could  not  be  held  as  an  argument  against 
this  theory,  since  there  are  some  which  are 
scarcely  eighteen  feet  high.  Moreover,  there 
does  not  exist  in  Egypt  a single  pyramid  that  is 
not  the  centre  of  a necropolis,  a fact  which  con- 
firms in  the  most  emphatic  manner  the  cha- 
racter of  these  monunents. 

What  remains  now  of  the  Pyramids  is  only 
the  nucleus.  Originally  they  were  covered  with 
a smooth  casing  which  has  entirely  disappeared, 
and  they  terminated  in  a sharp  point.  Being 
tombs  hermetically  sealed,  each  one  of  the 
Pyramids,  or  at  least  each  of  those  that  served 
as  the  sepulchre  of  a king,  possessed  an  exterior 
temple  which  was  built  within  a few  yards  of 
the  eastern  facade.  The  king,  deified  as  a sort 
of  incarnation  of  the  divinity,  was  here  wor- 
shipped. The  three  great  Pyramids  of  Geezeh 
possess,  like  all  other  Pyramids,  an  exterior 
temple. 


70 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


What  proves  that  Pyramids  were  monuments 
hermetically  sealed  is  that,  when  Amrou  wanted 
to  penetrate  into  the  Great  Pyramid,  he  was 
only  able  to  succeed  by  perforating  the  northern 
side  by  force,  very  nearly  in  the  axis,  which 
caused  him  accidentally  to  come  upon  the  as- 
cending passage  of  the  interior.  As  at  that 
time  the  outer  covering  was  still  perfect  and 
consequently  there  was  no  accumulation  of 
rubbish  at  its  base,  it  may  safely  be  inferred 
that  the  entrance  itself  was  not  visible  from  the 
outside. 

About  six  hundred  yards  to  the  S.E.  of  the 
Great  Pyramid  is  the  Sphinx.  The  Sphinx  is 
a natural  rock,  to  which  has  been  given,  more 
or  less  accurately,  the  external  appearance  of 
that  mystic  animal.  The  head  alone  has  been 
sculptured.  The  body  is  formed  of  the  rock 
itself,  supplemented,  where  defective,  by  a 
somewhat  clumsy  masonry  of  limestone.  The 
total  height  of  the  monument  is  19  metres  80 
centimetres,  equal  to  65  English  feet.  The  ear 
measures  6 feet  5 inches  ; the  nose  5 feet  10 
inches ; and  the  mouth  7 feet  8 inches.  The 
face,  in  its  widest  part,  across  the  cheek,  is  4 
metres  15  centimetres,  that  is,  13  feet  7 inches. 


THE  SPHINX. 


71 


Its  origin  is  still  a matter  of  doubt.  At  one 
time  it  was  supposed  to  be  a monument  of  the 
the  reign  of  Thotlimes  IY.  (XVIIIth  dynasty). 
But  we  know  now,  thanks  to  a stone  in  the 
Boolak  Museum,  that  the  Sphinx  was  already 
in  existence  when  Cheops  (who  preceded  Cheph- 
ren)  gave  orders  for  the  repairs  which  this  stone 
commemorates.  It  must  also  be  remembered 
that  the  Sphinx  is  the  colossal  image  of  an 
Egyptian  god  called  Armachis. 

Near  the  Sphinx  is  a singular  construction 
which,  even  to  a greater  degree  than  the  Sphinx 
itself,  is  an  enigma  to  Egyptologists.  It  is  cer- 
tain that  this  construction  is  as  ancient  as  the 
Pyramids.  But  is  it  a temple,  or  is  it  a tomb  ? 
Its  external  appearance,  it  must  be  confessed,  is 
rather  that  of  a tomb.  From  a distance  it  must 
have  presented  the  appearance  of  a mastaba, 
scarcely  exceeding  in  size  those  which  are 
actually  found,  for  example,  at  Abousir  and 
Sakkarah.  In  one  of  the  chambers  of  the 
interior  there  are  six  compartments,  placed 
one  above  the  other,  which  certainly  seem  to 
have  been  constructed,  like  those  of  the  third 
Pyramid  and  of  the  Mastabat-el-Faraoun,  for 
the  reception  of  mummies.  Moreover,  the  place 


72 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


does  not  differ  essentially  from  that  of  certain 
other  tombs  which  are  found  in  the  vicinity.  It 
may  therefore  be  fairly  argued  that  the  monu- 
ment in  question  was  a tomb,  without  violating 
an}' rules  of  criticism;  can  the  contrary  opinion, 
which  calls  it  a temple,  be  equally  well  sup- 
ported ? It  is  true,  the  Ancient  Empire  having 
left  us  no  other  temple  with  which  to  compare 
this  one,  it  is  not  unnatural  to  suppose  that  at 
this  remote  period  Egyptian  temples  might  have 
been  constructed  on  the  extraordinary  plan  of 
the  one  we  are  now  considering.  Nor  is  it  un- 
natural either  to  assume  that,  since  the  Sphinx 
is  a god,  the  adjoining  monument  may  be  the 
temple  of  that  god.  But  are  these  arguments 
sufficient  ? And,  after  all,  to  put  the  case 
plainly,  is  the  monument  an  annex  of  the 
Sphinx,  or  is  not  rather  the  Sphinx  an  annex 
of  the  monument  ? Does  not  the  whole  of  this 
represent  a very  ancient  tomb,  adorned,  for  the 
sake  of  greater  dignity,  with  a colossal  statue  of 
a god  ? The  question  is  pending. 

We  need  hardly  remind  the  reader  that  the 
spot  we  are  now  visiting  is  one  of  the  cemeteries 
of  Memphis,  just  as  Pere  Lachaise  is  one  of  the 
cemeteries  of  Paris.  The  tombs  therein  date 


THE  PYBAMIDS. 


73 


from  almost  every  period ; those  of  the  Ancient 
Empire,  however,  predominate.  The  latter  most 
frequently  take  the  form  of  the  mastaba,  a sort 
of  truncated  pyramid  built  of  enormous  stones 
and  covering,  as  with  a massive  lid,  the  well  at 
the  bottom  of  which  reposed  the  mummy.  The 
visitor  may  observe  two  or  three  good  specimens 
near  the  eastern  side  of  the  Great  Pyramid;  but 
a better  opportunity  of  studying  this  sort  of 
monument  will  be  afforded  us  at  Sakkarah. 

To  this  description  of  the  Pyramids  we  here 
add  a plan  which  will  serve  as  a guide  to  the 
traveller  who,  being  anxious  to  escape  from  the 
deafening  cries  of  the  guides  and  their  tiresome 
demands  for  baksheesh,  may  feel  induced  to  make 
a somewhat  serious  study  of  the  interior  of  the 
most  important  of  these  monuments.  As  we 
have  already  stated,  the  outer  casing  formerly 
concealed  the  entrance  to  the  Pyramid,  and  it 
is  evident  that  in  the  original  design  this 
entrance  was  to  remain  for  ever  closed.  At 
the  present  time  the  Pyramid  is  entered  by  a 
square  hole  on  the  thirteenth  layer  of  stone,  at 
about  sixty  feet  from  the  ground. 

This  description  being  intended  for  the  traveller 
who  visits  the  interior  of  the  Pyramid  with  the 


74 


TEE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


plan  in  liis  hand,  it  is  not  necessary  to  give  many 
details.  A is  a subterranean  chamber,  at  present 
inaccessible.  B is  called  the  Queen’s  Chamber, 
a title  justified  by  no  tradition  whatever.  C is 
called  the  King’s  Chamber.  D is  a sort  of  land- 
ing intersected  by  two  grooves,  into  which  glided, 
once  upon  a time,  that  is  to  say  when  the  royal 
mummy  had  just  been  deposited  in  the  sarco- 
phagus, the  two  massive  blocks  which  were  to 
close  to  all  eternity  the  entrance  of  the  chamber. 
E,  F,  G and  H are  the  communicating  passages. 
I is  a landing-place  into  which  leads  the  forced 
passage  of  the  Caliph  Amrou.  J is  the  mysterious 
well  -which  has  so  long  put  the  sagacity  of  dis- 
coverers to  so  severe  a test.  Such  is  the  interior 
of  the  Pyramid. 

But  now,  what  was  the  purpose  of  all  these 
apparently  inextricable  passages  and  rooms  ? 
Evidently  everything  was  done  to  deceive  the 
future  violators  of  the  Pyramid,  and  to  throw 
them  off  the  scent  as  to  the  actual  position  of 
the  mummy.  For  let  us  suppose  that  the  en- 
trance hidden  under  the  outer  casing  has  been 
discovered.  A first  obstacle  will  present  itself, 
namety,  the  blocks  with  which  corridor  H is  fitted 
up.  If  these  blocks  be  broken  and  a passage 


THE  GREAT  PYRAMID. 


THE  PYRAMIDS. 


77 


successfully  forced,  chamber  A will  be  reached. 
If  it  is  now  discovered  that  chamber  A is  not  the 
true  chamber  of  the  Pyramid,  corridor  II  must 
next  be  sounded  at  all  points  to  discover  the  un- 
known spot  from  whence  the  passage,  supposed 
to  be  the  correct  one,  branches  off.  But  this  time 
one  has  to  do  with  blocks  of  granite,  since  two 
of  these  blocks  are  still  'n  their  place  (landing- 
place  I).  This  obstacle,  which  is  not  to  be 
broken,  must  then  be  turned,  and  one  comes  upon 
the  ascending  corridor  G at  the  end  of  which  the 
landing-place  K would  not  have  been  disposed  as 
we  find  it  at  the  present  day.  It  would  be  com- 
pletely blocked,  as  also  would  be  the  aperture  of 
the  well.  If  the  passage  is  forced,  it  is  quite 
natural  to  follow  the  flagstones,  and  the  explorer 
will  find  himself  in  corridor  F without  suspecting 
that  a second  ascending  corridor  runs  over  his 
head.  Chamber  B is  thus  reached.  Here  fresh 
doubts  wall  arise  as  to  the  real  character  of  this 
chamber,  and  fresh  efforts  will  be  made  to  ascer- 
tain where  the  next  bifurcation  takes  place.  The 
point  of  connection  is  hit  upon  after  a while,  and 
the  corbellatcd  corridor  E is  gone  through,  when 
at  length  the  true  chamber  is  reached,  the  two 
grooves  presenting  no  serious  obstacle.  There  is 


78 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


nothing,  even  to  the  well,  which  is  not  explained 
in  this  manner  of  accounting  for  the  internal  dis- 
tribution of  the  monument.  During  the  con- 
struction of  the  Pyramid,  blocks  of  granite  of 
the  same  dimensions  as  corridor  G were  deposited 
in  the  corbellated  corridor  E.  The  Pyramid 
being  finished,  and  the  mummy  laid  in  its  place, 
these  blocks  w?ould  he  allowed  to  slide  by  their 
own  weight  down  corridor  G ; the  landing-place 
K would  then  he  blocked  up,  and  the  workmen 
would  descend  by  the  well  and  return  to  the  open 
air  by  the  corridor  H,  which  in  its  turn  would  be 
obstructed  by  blocks  introduced  through  the  ex- 
ternal entrance  of  the  monument.  Let  us  add 
that  experience  in  excavations  authorises  this 
explanation  to  a certain  extent.  Indeed,  it  is  no 
uncommon  thing  to  find  tombs  where  a false 
scent  has  intentionally  diverted  the  attention  of 
the  would-be  violators  of  the  pit  in  which  the 
mummy  is  reposing.* 

III.— MITRAHENNY. 

Mitrahenny  lies  on  the  road  from  Cairo  to 
Sakkarah.  Both  villages  therefore  are  visited  in 

* Examine  with  this  view  the  two  great  Pyramids  of 
Dashoor.  Here  again  every  endeavour  has  been  made  to 
deceive  those  who  might  seek  to  rifle  the  monument. 


MITRAHENNY. 


79 


the  same  excursion  ; the  first  is  passed  just 
before  reaching  the  second. 

The  traveller  who  wishes  to  visit  Mitrahenny 
and  Sakkarah  can  wait  until  his  dahabeah  is 
ready,  and  then  make  Bedreshayn  his  first 
halting-place  on  his  journey  up  the  Nile. 

If,  however,  he  should  prefer  making  the  ex- 
cursion from  Cairo,  there  are  two  routes  from 
which  he  can  choose.  He  can  either  hire  don- 
keys at  Cairo  and  ride  the  whole  way  to  the 
colossus  of  Mitrahenny  (the  donkey  boys  know 
the  wray  and  would  serve  as  guides),  or  he  can 
send  forward  the  donkeys  to  Bedreshayn  which 
is  the  nearest  station  to  Mitrahenny  on  the 
Upper  Egypt  railway,  in  which  case  he  would 
take  a carriage  from  Cairo  to  Geezeh,  and  would 
continue  his  journey  by  train  from  Geezeh.  This 
is  the  favourite  route,  especially  with  those  who 
have  not  much  time  to  spare  or  who  dread  the 
fatigue  of  a long  journey,  to  and  fro,  on  donkey  - 
hack. 

Memphis  was  in  all  probability  the  largest  city 
in  Egypt,  and  if,  as  we  believe,  the  step-shaped 
Pyramid  at  Sakkarah  belongs  to  the  Ist  dynasty, 
Memphis  may  assuredly  boast  of  an  antiquity 
that  Thinis  alone  can  rival.  A palace  “ of  bar- 


80 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


barous  construction  ” was  to  be  found  here  as 
well  as  at  Heliopolis. 

Explorations  ha\re  not  confirmed  the  assertion 
of  Strabo,  who  describes  Memphis  as  reaching  to 
the  foot  of  the  Libpan  chain.  Memphis,  on  the 
contrary,  seems  to  have  been  shut  in  between  the 
Balir-Jousef  on  the  one  side  and  the  Nile  on  the 
other,  and  thus  to  have  been  a city  of  an  ex- 
tremely elongated  form,  stretching  to  the  north 
nearly  as  far  as  Geezeli  and  to  the  south  to 
Schinbab,  an  extent  which  accounts  for  its  ceme- 
teries being  scattered  widely  apart.  Throughout 
the  whole  length  of  the  space  contained  within 
the  above  boundaries  are  mounds,  more  or  less 
arid,  strewn  here  and  there  with  blocks  of 
granite  and  foundations  of  walls  which  emerge 
from  the  surface  of  the  soil.  On  the  most  con- 
siderable of  these  mounds  is  situated  the  village 
of  Mitrahenny,  where  once  stood  the  famous 
temple  of  Plitali,  the  Vulcan  of  Greek  tradition. 

The  history  of  Memphis  is,  on  the  whole,  very- 
much  the  same  as  that  of  Heliopolis.  We  have 
here,  however,  materials  that  Heliopolis  could 
not  yield.  The  still  extant  burial-grounds  of 
Memphis  (the  Pyramids,  Abousir,  Sakkarah  and 
Dashoor)  furnish  us  with  abundant  information 


MITRAIIENNY. 


81 


on  the  history  of  that  city  during  the  different 
periods  of  its  existence.  Founded  under  the 
most  ancient  kings,  the  successors  of  Menes — 
flourishing  under  the  IVth  dynasty,  that  grand 
epoch  which  witnessed  the  rise  of  the  Pyramids  ; 
equally  prosperous  under  the  Vth  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  VIth;  neglected  and  abandoned  under 
the  XIth,  XIIth  and  XIIIth  dynasties,  Memphis 
revived,  like  Egypt  herself,  as  soon  as  the  kings 
of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty  had  succeeded  in  purging 
the  national  soil  of  its  invaders.  Taken  and 
retaken  by  turns  under  the  subsequent  dynasties 
by  the  Assyrians,  the  Ethiopians  and  the  Per- 
sians, Memphis  recovered  under  the  Greeks  a 
portion  of  her  ancient  splendour,  even  though 
Strabo  describes  her  at  the  time  of  his  visit  as 
being  already  deserted.  The  time,  however,  was 
approaching  when  nothing  would  be  left  of  Mem- 
phis but  ruins,  and  when  the  gloomy  threatenings 
of  Jeremiah  should  be  literally  fulfilled:  “0 
daughter  of  Egypt,  prepare  thyself  for  captivity ; 
for  Memphis  shall  be  laid  waste  ; she  shall  be 
abandoned  and  shall  become  uninhabitable.” 
And  now  nothing  remains  of  the  once  proud 
city  which  through  so  many  centuries  exercised 
so  profound  an  influence  over  the  destinies  of  man- 
7 


82 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


kind  — nothing  hut  interminable  mounds  where 
only  the  date-palm  can  grow,  besides  here  and 
there  the  debris  of  a wall,  the  shaft  of  a broken 
column,  and  mutilated  statues  half-hidden  in  the 
ground  or  buried  in  the  mud. 

Yet  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  Memphis 
disappeared  all  at  once,  and  as  it  were  at  one 
stroke,  at  the  very  same  moment  when  the  ancient 
Egyptian  civilisation  received  its  death-blow. 
It  is  even  curious  to  see  in  Abd-el-Latyf  in  what 
state  were  the  ruins  of  Memphis  eight  hundred 
years  ago:  “Let  us  pass  now,”  says  the  Arab 
traveller,  “to  other  vestiges  of  Egypt’s  greatness; 
I mean  to  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  capital  of  that 
country.  This  capital  was  Memphis,  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Pharaohs  and  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment of  the  Kings  of  Egypt.  Notwithstanding 
the  enormous  size  of  this  city,  and  her  exceeding 
great  antiquity,  in  spite  of  the  many  vicissitudes 
of  the  various  Governments  to  whose  yoke  she 
had  successively  submitted  ; notwithstanding  the 
efforts  made  by  various  people  to  annihilate  her 
by  destroying  the  smallest  vestige  and  defacing 
the  slightest  trace  of  her,  carrying  away  the 
stones  and  materials  of  which  she  was  built, 
laying  waste  her  edifices,  and  mutilating  the 


MITRAHENNY — ABD-EL-LATYF. 


83 


figures  with  which  they  were  adorned ; in  spite 
also  of  what  the  lapse  of  four  thousand  years  and 
even  more  must  have  added  to  so  many  other 
causes  of  destruction,  her  ruins  still  offer  to  the 
eye  of  the  spectator  an  assemblage  of  wonders 
which  astonish  the  mind,  and  which  the  most 
gifted  writer  would  find  it  impossible  to  describe. 
The  more  one  contemplates  this  city,  the  more 
does  the  admiration  she  inspires  increase,  and 
each  successive  visit  to  her  ruins  becomes  a fresh 
cause  of  wonder  and  delight.”  A little  further  on, 
Abd-el-Latyf  adds  : “ One  sees  on  the  same  spot 
pedestals  resting  on  enormous  foundations.  The 
quantity  of  stones  proceeding  from  the  demolition 
of  the  buildings  seems  to  fill  up  the  surface  of 
these  ruins ; in  some  places  bits  of  broken  walls 
•are  still  standing,  . . . elsewhere  nothing  is  to 
be  seen  but  the  foundations,  or  heaps  of  ruined 
fragments.  I saw  the  arch  of  a very  high  door, 
the  two  side  walls  of  which  are  formed  each  of  a 
single  stone,  and  the  vault  above,  also  formed  of 
a single  stone,  had  fallen  down  in  front  of  the 
door.  ...  As  for  the  figures  of  idols  which  are 
found  among  those  ruins,  whether  as  regards 
their  number  or  their  enormous  magnitude,  it  is 
something  that  baffles  description,  and  of  which 
7* 


84 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


one  can  hardly  convey  any  idea  ; hut  what  is 
still  more  worthy  of  admiration  is  the  precision 
of  their  forms,  the  accuracy  of  their  proportions 
and  their  great  resemblance  to  nature.  We 
found  one  which  without  its  pedestal  was  more 
than  thirty  cubits  high.  . . . This  statue  was 
in  a single  block  of  red  granite,  covered  with 
a red  polish  to  which  its  antiquity  seemed  only 
to  lend  an  additional  freshness.” 

And  still  further  on  he  says  : “ I saw  two  lions 
facing  each  other  within  a short  distance ; their 
aspect  inspired  awe ; for  notwithstanding  their 
colossal  size,  infinitely  larger  than  that  of  life, 
the  sculptor  had  succeeded  in  preserving  the 
truthfulness  of  form  and  of  proportion.  They 
have  been  broken  and  covered  with  earth.” 

It  is  impossible  to  peruse  these  lines,  written 
by  one  of  the  most  sagacious  and  the  most  truth- 
ful of  Arabian  historians,  without  bitterly  regret- 
ting the  treasures  we  have  lost.  Even  Karnak, 
stripped  as  it  has  been  for  the  last  fifty  years  of 
all  its  riches,  can  give  but  a faint  idea  of  what 
Memphis  must  have  been  at  the  end  of  the  XIIth 
century,  before  the  stones  of  its  temples  had  one 
by  one  been  swallowed  up  in  the  constructions  of 
Cairo.  But  alas  ! there  now  remains  nothing  to 


THE  RUINS  OF  MEMPHIS. 


85 


be  seen  of  Memphis,  beyond  the  few  following 
monuments : — 

1.  The  hollow  space,  on  the  borders  of 
which  the  traveller  must  pass  as  he  reaches  the 
ruins,  and  beyond  which  he  perceives  through 
a vista  of  trees  the  pointed  summits  of  the 
Pyramids,  is  the  lake  of  the  temple  of  Vulcan. 
Close  by  is  a colossus  in  pink  granite,  discovered 
in  1852  by  Hekekyan-Bey.  It  represents  Rain- 
eses II.,  and  the  superscribed  cartouches  are 
those  of  the  immediate  successors  of  that  prince. 

2.  A few  yards  further  on,  to  the  south  of  the 
colossus,  is  a large  stela,  in  white  limestone,  lying 
face  upwards.  It  dates  from  the  time  of  Apries 
(XXVIth  dynasty).  Apries  had  increased  the  endow- 
ment of  the  temple  of  Vulcan,  and  had  enlarged  the 
temple  itself,  for  the  service  of  which  he  had  made 
several  lakes  or  canals.  The  stela  was  intended 
to  preserve  the  remembrance  of  those  benefits. 

3.  Near  to  the  isolated  house  in  which  have 
been  stored  away  some  broken  statues  discovered 
during  our  excavations  is  another  colossus.  This 
is  in  silicious  limestone,  and  represents  Eameses 
II.  The  statues  of  Rameses  are  so  common  that 
science  would  attach  no  importance  to  this  one, 
were  it  not  that  the  head,  modelled  with  a gran- 


86 


THE  MONUMENTS  OP  UPPER  EGYPT. 


deur  of  style  which  one  never  tires  of  admiring, 
is  an  authentic  portrait  of  the  celebrated  con- 
queror of  the  XIXth  dynasty.* 

IV.-SAKKARAH. 

Sakkarali  is  a village  which  gives  its  name  to 
the  necropolis  near  which  it  is  situated.  This 
necropolis  is  the  most  important,  the  most  an- 
cient, and  yet  at  the  same  time  the  most  modern 
of  all  the  cemeteries  of  Memphis.  It  extends 
along  the  verge  of  the  sands  of  the  desert  for 
about  four  miles  and  a half  in  length,  with  a 
breadth  varying  from  a third  of  a mile  to  nearly 
one  mile. 

There  is  certainly  not,  at  the  present  time,  a 
single  spot  in  the  whole  of  the  necropolis  of 
Sakkarah  that  has  not  already  been,  over  and 

* This  statue  was  discovered  by  Caviglia,  about  1820, 
and  was  given  by  Mehemet  Ali  to  the  Engbsh  Govern- 
ment. For  nine  months  in  every  year  it  is  under  water. 
There  is  every  reason  to  suppose  that  it  stood  facing  the 
north,  against  a pylon  of  the  temple  of  Vulcan  of  which 
not  a vestige  remains.  A second  colossus  must  have  cor- 
responded with  this  one  on  the  other  side  of  the  entrance. 
For  this  second  colossus,  however,  we  have  sought  in  vain. 
Examples  of  such  an  arrangement  are  found  at  Luxor  and 
at  Karnak,  and  the  two  colossi  of  the  pylon  at  Luxor  also 
represent  Rameses. 


SAFKARAH. 


87 


over  again,  explored  by  excavations  more  or  less 
ancient.  It  offers,  in  fact,  a spectacle  of  utter 
devastation.  Pits  without  number  lie  yawning  at 
the  feet  of  the  passer-by.  Dismantled  brick  walls, 
heaps  of  sand  mingled  with  stones  and  particles 
of  granite,  encumber  the  traveller’s  path  almost 
at  every  step.  Here  and  there  fragments  of 
mummy-cloth  borne  along  by  the  -wind,  or  human 
bones  drying  and  bleaching  in  the  sun,  warn  us 
that  we  are  in  the  region  of  the  dead. 

No  less  remarkable  are  the  many  pyramids 
with  which  the  necropolis  is  covered.  In  the 
centre,  forming  as  it  were  the  nucleus  of  this 
vast  ensemble,  rises  a pyramid  curiously  built  in 
six  gradients.  If  tradition  may  be  trusted,  and 
if  the  spot  of  which  this  pyramid  is  the  centre  is 
called  Ko-Komeli,  and  if  King  Oueneplies  really 
built  his  pyramid  in  a place  called  Ko-Komeh, 
then  this  step-shaped  pyramid  dates  from  the  Ist 
dynasty,  and  is  consequently  the  most  ancient 
known  monument,  not  in  Egypt  only,  but  in  the 
whole  world.  The  other  pyramids  bear  no  date, 
and  it  is  probable  that  the  greater  number  of 
them  have  never  been  opened.* 

* The  step-shaped  pyramid  has  been  opened,  but  a 
recent  falling  in  of  part  of  the  masonry  has  obstructed 


88 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


The  necropolis  of  Sakkarah  is  so  vast  that  it 
is  impossible  to  visit  the  whole  of  it.  The 
monuments  most  frequently  inspected  are  the 
Serapeum,  the  Tomb  of  Till,  and  the  Tomb  of 
Phtah-IIotep. 

A. — The  Serapeum. — The  Serapeum  is  one  of 
the  edifices  of  Memphis  rendered  famous  by 
a frequently  quoted  passage  of  Strabo,  and  by 
the  constant  mention  made  of  it  oil  the  Greek 
papyri.  It  had  long  been  sought  for,  and  we 
had  the  good  fortune  to  discover  it  in  1851.' * 

the  entrance.  To  the  S.  of  the  necropolis  is  the  Mastabat- 
-el-Faraoun,  a vast  construction  of  royal  origin,  of  which 
we  discovered  the  entrance  in  1859.  Some  quarry  marks 
traced  in  red  on  the  blocks  employed  in  the  masonry- 
work  have  left  signs  which  seem  to  us  to  form  the  name 
of  Ounas,  one  of  the  last  kings  of  the  Vth  dynasty. 

* Strabo,  in  his  description  of  Memphis,  expresses  him- 
self thus : “ One  finds  also  (at  Memphis)  a temple  of 
Serapis  in  a spot  so  sandy  that  the  wind  causes  the  sand 
to  accumulate  in  heaps,  under  which  we  could  see  many 
sphinxes,  some  of  them  almost  entirely  buried,  others 
only  partially  covered ; from  which  we  may  conjecture 
that  the  route  leading  to  this  temple  might  he  attended 
with  danger  if  one  were  surprised  by  a sudden  gust  of 
wind.” 

If  Strabo  had  not  written  this  passage,  in  all  proba- 
bility the  Serapeum  would  to  this  day  lie  buried  under 
the  sands  of  the  necropolis  of  Sakkarah.  In  1850  I had 


TIIE  SERAPEUM. 


89 


Apis,  the  living  image  of  Osiris  revisiting  the 
earth,  was  a hull  who,  while  he  lived,  had  his 
temple  at  Memphis  (Mitrahenny),  and,  when 
dead,  had  his  tomb  at  Sakkarah.  The  palace 
which  the  bull  inhabited  in  his  lifetime  was 
called  the  Apieum ; the  Serapeum  was  the  name 
given  to  his  tomb. 

As  far  as  we  can  judge  by  the  remains  found 
during  our  researches,  the  Serapeum  resembled 
in  appearance  the  other  Egyptian  temples,  even 
those  which  were  not  funereal  in  their  character. 
An  avenue  of  sphinxes  led  up  to  it,  and  two 

been  commissioned  by  the  French  Government  to  visit 
the  Coptic  convents  of  Egypt,  and  to  make  an  inventory 
of  such  manuscripts  in  Oriental  languages  as  I should 
find  there.  I noticed  at  Alexandria,  in  M.  Zizinia’s 
garden,  several  sphinxes.  Presently  I saw  more  of  these 
same  sphinxes  at  Cairo,  in  Clot-Bey’s  garden.  M.  Fer- 
nandez had  also  a certain  number  of  such  sphinxes  at 
Geezeh.  Evidently  there  must  be  somewhere  an  avenue 
of  sphinxes  which  was  being  pillaged.  One  day,  attracted 
to  Sakkarah  by  my  Egyptological  studies,  I perceived  the 
head  of  one  of  these  same  sphinxes  obtruding  itself  from 
the  sand.  This  one  had  never  been  touched,  and  was 
certainly  in  its  original  position.  Close  by  lay  a libation- 
table,  on  which  was  engraved  in  hieroglyphs  an  inscription 
to  Osiris-Apis.  The  passage  in  Strabo  suddenly  occurred 
to  my  mind.  The  avenue  which  lay  at  my  feet  must  be 
the  one  which  led  up  to  that  Serapeum  so  long  and  so 
vainly  sought  for.  But  I had  been  sent  to  Egypt  to  make 


90 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


pylons  stood  before  it,  and  it  was  surrounded  by 
the  usual  inclosure.  But  what  distinguished 
it  from  all  other  temples  was  that  out  of  one  of 
its  chambers  opened  an  inclined  passage  leading 
directly  into  the  rock  on  which  the  temple  was 
built,  and  giving  access  to  vast  subterranean 
vaults  which  were  the  Tomb  of  Apis. 

The  Serapeum,  properly  so  called,  no  longer 
exists,  and  where  it  stood  there  is  now  nothing 
to  be  seen  but  a vast  plain  of  sand  mingled  with 
fragments  of  stones  scattered  about  in  indescrib- 
able confusion.  But  the  most  beautiful  and  in- 
teresting part  of  the  subterranean  vault  can  still 
be  visited. 

The  Tomb  of  Apis  consists  of  three  distinct 

an  inventory  of  manuscripts,  not  to  seek  for  temples.  My 
mind,  however,  was  soon  made  up.  Regardless  of  all 
risks,  without  saying  a word,  and  almost  furtively,  I 
gathered  together  a few  workmen,  and  the  excavation 
began.  The  first  attempts  were  hard  indeed,  hut,  before 
very  long,  lions  and  peacocks  and  the  Grecian  statues  of 
the  dromos,  together  with  the  monumental  tablets  or 
stela  of  the  temple  of  Nectanebo,  were  drawn  out  of  the 
sand,  and  I was  able  to  announce  my  success  to  the 
French  Government,  informing  them,  at  the  same  time, 
that  the  funds  placed  at  my  disposal  for  the  researches 
after  the  manuscripts  were  entirely  exhausted,  and  that  a 
further  grant  was  indispensable.  Thus  was  begun  the 
discovery  of  the  Serapeum. 

The  work  lasted  four  years.  The  Serapeum  is  a temple 


THE  TOMB  OF  APIS. 


91 


parts  wliicli  have  no  direct  communication  wdtli 
one  another. 

The  first  and  most  ancient  part  carries  us  back 
as  far  as  the  XVIIIth  dynasty  and  Amenopliis 
III.  It  served  as  the  burial-place  of  the  sacred 
bulls  up  to  the  end  of  the  XXth  dynasty.  Here 
the  tombs  are  separate.  Every  dead  Apis  had 
his  own  sepulchral  chamber  hewn  here  and  there, 
as  it  were  at  random,  out  of  the  rock.  These 
chambers  are  now  hidden  under  the  sand,  and 
were  never  possessed  of  any  very  great  interest. 

The  second  part  comprises  the  tombs  of  Apis 
from  the  time  of  Sheshonk  T.  (XXIInd  dynasty) 
to  that  of  Tahraka  (the  last  king  of  the  XXVth 
dynasty).  In  this  part  a newr  system  was  adopted. 
Instead  of  isolated  tombs,  a long  subterranean 
gallery  was  made,  on  each  side  of  which  mortu- 

built  without  any  regular  plan,  where  all  was  conjecture, 
and  where  the  ground  had  to  be  examined  closely,  inch 
by  inch.  In  certain  places  the  sand  is,  so  to  speak,  fluid, 
and  presents  as  much  difficulty  in  excavating  as  if  it  were 
water  which  ever  seeks  its  own  level.  Besides  all  this, 
difficulties  arose  between  the  French  and  the  Egyptian 
Governments,  which  obliged  me  several  times  to  discharge 
all  my  workmen.  It  was  owing  to  these  circumstances 
(to  say  nothing  of  other  trials)  that  the  work  proved  so 
long,  and  that  I was  compelled  to  spend  four  years  in  the 
desert — four  years,  however,  I can  never  regret. 


92 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


ary  chambers  were  excavated,  to  be  used  when- 
ever an  Apis  expired  at  Memphis.  This  gallery 
is  also  inaccessible  now,  the  roof  having  in  some 
places  fallen  in,  and  the  remainder  not  being 
sufficiently  secure  to  allow  of  its  being  visited  by 
travellers.* 

The  third  part  is  that  which  is  now  so  well 
known.  Its  history  begins  with  Psammetichus  I. 
(XXVIth  dynasty),  and  ends  with  the  later 
Ptolemies.  The  same  system  of  a common  vault 
has  been  followed  here  as  in  the  second  part, 
only  on  a much  grander  scale.  These  galleries 
cover  an  extent  of  about  350  metres,  or  1,150 
English  feet ; and  from  one  end  to  the  other  the 
great  gallery  measures  195  metres,  or  about  640 
English  feet.  Moreover,  granite  sarcophagi  have 

* In  approaching  the  entrance  to  the  tomb  of  Apis  by 
the  ordinary  path,  one  sees  to  the  right,  i.e.  towards  the 
N.,  a somewhat  large  circular  hole.  Here  are  to  be  found 
the  vaults  which  preceded  those  we  are  about  to  visit. 
This  hole  was  caused  by  the  falling  in  of  a portion  of  the 
stone-work.  In  blowing  up  the  debris  with  gunpowder, 
we  discovered,  not  an  Apis,  but  a human  mummy.  A 
gold  mask  covered  its  face,  and  jewels  of  every  descrip- 
tion were  arranged  on  its  breast.  All  the  inscriptions 
were  in  the  name  of  Eameses’  favourite  son,  who  was  for  a 
long  time  governor  of  Memphis.  It  may  therefore  be 
reasonably  supposed  that  it  was  here  this  prince  was 
buried. 


THE  TCOIB  OF  APIS. 


93 


been  used  here.  Their  number  throughout  the 
whole  extent  of  the  galleries  is  24.  Of  these  only 
three  bear  any  inscription,  and  they  contain 
the  names  of  Amasis  (XXVIth  dynasty),  Cam- 
hyses  and  Ivliebasch  (XXVIIth  dynasty).  A 
fourth,  with  cartouches  without  any  name,  most 
probably  belongs  to  one  of  the  last  Ptolemies. 
As  to  their  dimensions,  they  measure  on  an 
average  7 feet  8 inches  in  breadth,  by  13  feet  in 
length,  and  11  feet  in  height;  so  that,  allowing 
for  the  vacuum,  these  monoliths  must  weigh, 
one  with  the  other,  not  less  than  65  tons  each. 

Such  are  the  three  parts  of  the  Tomb  of  Apis. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  exploration  of  this 
tomb  has  furnished  science  with  unhoped-for 
results.  For  what  the  traveller  now  sees  of  it 
is  merely  its  skeleton;  But  the  fact  is  that, 
although  it  had  been  rifled  by  the  early 
Christians,  the  tomb,  when  first  discovered, 
still  possessed  nearly  all  that  it  had  ever  con- 
tained that  was  not  gold  or  other  precious 
matter.  There  existed  a custom  which  had 
especially  contributed  to  enrich  the  tomb  with 
valuable  documents.  On  certain  days  in  the 
year,  or  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  and  funeral 
rites  of  an  Apis,  the  inhabitants  of  Memphis 


94 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPEE  EGYPT. 


came  to  pay  a visit  to  the  god  in  liis  burial- 
place.  In  memory  of  this  act  of  piety  they  left  a 
stela,  i.e.  a square- shaped  stone,  rounded  at  the 
top,  which  was  let  into  one  of  the  walls  of  the 
tomb,  having  been  previously  inscribed  with 
an  homage  to  the  god  in  the  name  of  his  visitor 
and  his  family.  Now  these  documents,  to  the 
number  of  about  five  hundred,  wrere  found,  for 
the  most  part,  in  their  original  position  (see 
especially  the  entrance  chamber  to  the  N.) ; and 
as  many  of  them  were  dated  according  to  the 
fashion  of  the  time,  that  is  with  the  year,  month 
and  day  of  the  reigning  king,  a comparison 
of  these  inscribed  tablets  must  necessarily  prove 
of  the  greatest  importance,  especially  in  fixing 
chronology. 

B, — Tombs  of  Tih  and  of  Phtah  - Hotep. — 
After  visiting  the  Serapeum,  the  traveller  usually 
turns  his  steps  towards  one  or  more  of  those 
tombs  of  the  Ancient  Empire  in  which  the  ne- 
cropolis of  Sakkarali  is  so  rich.  We  will  se- 
lect for  description  those  of  Tih  and  of  Phtah- 
Iiotep. 

Generally  speaking,  a tomb  of  the  Ancient 
Empire  may  be  recognised  externally  by  a small 


TOMBS  OF  THE  ANCIENT  EMPIRE. 


95 


building  having  the  form  of  a mastabah.*  This 
mastabah  consists  of  three  parts,  viz. : 1st,  one 
or  more  chambers,  sometimes  with  the  addition 
of  a serdab,  a sort  of  narrow  passage  concealed 
in  the  thickness  of  the  masonry — these  chambers 
being  accessible  at  all  times  through  a doorway 
opening  upon  one  of  the  streets  of  the  necropolis  ; 
2nd,  a vertical  pit  opening  out  of  one  of  the 
chambers ; 3rd,  a sepulchral  chamber  hollowed 
out  in  the  rock,  wherein  the  mummy  reposes. 

The  serdab  never  bears  any  inscriptions ; the 
chambers,  on  the  contrary,  are  almost  always 
decorated,  and  these  representations  are  too 
interesting  not  to  arrest  our  attention. 

Strangely  enough,  everything  here  is  as  little 
funereal  as  possible.  In  the  tombs  of  other 
periods,  as  we  shall  see  in  more  than  one 
instance  at  Bab-el-Molouk,  an  army  of  strange 
fantastic  gods  has  invaded  the  walls  of  the 
chamber.  The  defunct  is  there  seen  actually  in 
the  other  world,  and  in  a world  peopled  with 

* The  reader  already  knows  that  under  the  Ancient 
Empire  the  tombs  of  private  individuals  were  generally 
in  the  form  of  the  mastabah,  by  which  we  mean  a sort  of 
pyramid,  truncated  near  the  base,  and  which  from 
a distance  presents  the  appearance  of  an  enormous 
sarcophagus  hd. 


96 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


beings  mostly  impossible  to  describe.  But  here 
we  have  nothing  of  the  kind,  and  we  would  look 
in  vain  for  a single  representation  of  the  divinity 
on  the  walls.  The  defunct  is  in  this  world  and 
not  in  the  other.*  He  is  represented  standing, 
or  sometimes  seated,  with  the  staff  of  office  in 
his  hand.  His  wife  is  by  his  side,  and  his 
children  close  by ; his  servants  are  standing 
before  him,  and  it  altogether  looks  as  if  he  were 
still  of  this  world. 

Let  us  try  and  fathom  the  meaning  of  these 
pictures,  and  we  shall  find  the  principle  we  have 
alluded  to  more  and  more  forcibly  brought  out. 
On  the  lintel  of  the  entrance  to  each  tomb, 
whenever  this  part  is  not  altogether  destroyed, 
which  is  unfortunately  too  often  the  case,  is 
a somewhat  long  inscription  which  serves  as 
a sort  of  introduction  to  the  monument.  The 
name  and  titles  of  the  defunct  are  set  forth,  and 

* See  tlie  reservations  brought  to  bear  upon  these 
ideas  in  the  Introduction,  page  9.  The  present  descrip- 
tion of  the  tombs  of  Sakkarah  dates  from  1869,  whilst  the 
Introduction  was  written  in  1872.  This  divergence  of 
opinion  shows  through  what  stages  science  must  needs 
pass : and  it  may  be  that  on  further  inquiry  into  the  facts 
thus  far  ascertained,  or  through  the  discovery  of  fresh 
data,  we  shall  be  compelled  once  more  to  modify  our  view 
on  this  subject. 


THE  TOMB  OF  TIH. 


97 


then  follows  an  invocation  which  sums  up,  so  to 
speak,  the  pictures  that  are  to  be  found  in  such 
numbers  in  the  interior.  In  this  invocation 
Anubis,  the  guardian  of  tombs,  is  entreated, 
1st,  to  grant  to  the  personage  named  a worthy 
sepulture  in  the  necropolis,  after  a long  and 
happy  life ; 2nd,  to  befriend  the  defunct  during 
his  journey  through  the  regions  beyond  the 
grave ; 3rd,  to  secure  to  him  through  all  eternity 
the  proper  paying  of  what  the  text  calls  “the 
funereal  gifts.”  Now,  it  is  especially  to  these 
three  subjects  of  invocation  that  the  pictures  in 
the  interior  refer ; for  every  one  of  them  may  be  in- 
cluded under  either  of  the  three  following  heads : — 
1.  Scenes  relating  to  the  personage  while  still 
living. — The  tomb  of  Tib  offers  several  of  these 
pictures,  most  interesting  to  study.  The  defunct 
is  in  his  home.  In  the  narrow  entrance  passage 
on  the  southern  wall  some  women  of  his  house- 
hold are  dancing  before  him ; musicians  are 
playing  on  various  instruments,  and  singers 
accompany  them,  beating  time  wdth  their  hands. 
On  the  northern  wall  of  the  large  chamber  the 
defunct  is  shooting  in  the  marshes  ; he  is  stand- 
ing upright  on  a bark  made  of  papyrus  reeds ; 
with  one  hand  he  holds  some  call-birds  and  with 
8 


98 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


the  other  he  lets  fly,  over  the  aquatic  birds  dis- 
persed among  the  tall  reeds,  a curved  stick  which 
whirls  round  and  round.  Crouching  in  the 
water  on  which  the  bark  is  sailing  are  hippo- 
potami and  crocodiles.  Some  of  his  servants 
are  trying  to  catch  them.  One  curious  episode 
is  a combat  between  two  of  these  amphibious 
animals  ; the  crocodile  is  vanquished.  Close  by, 
a servant  of  the  household  is  hooking  a hippo- 
potamus with  a sort  of  harpoon — a scene  which 
forcibly  recalls  to  one’s  mind  those  two  verses  of 
Job  (chap.  xli.  1,  2),  “ Canst  thou  draw  out  levia- 
than with  an  hook  ? or  his  tongue  with  a cord 
which  thou  lettest  down  ? Canst  thou  put  an 
hook  into  his  nose  ? or  bore  his  jaw  through  with 
a thorn  ? ” The  figure  on  the  tomb  deserves 
special  attention.  Another  scene  represents  the 
shooting  of  certain  aquatic  birds  by  the  servi- 
tors of  the  defunct.  Further  on,  upon  the  same 
northern  wall,  are  charming  representations  of 
country  life.  Cows  are  passing  over  a ford ; 
calves  are  feeding  in  a meadow ; herdsmen  are 
conducting  a flock  of  goats.  Equally  curious 
are  the  agricultural  pictures  on  the  eastern  wall 
of  the  same  chamber.  The  corn  is  reaped  ; it  is 
gathered  into  stacks  ; it  is  threshed  and  tied  into 


THE  TOMB  OF  TIH. 


99 


sheaves,  with  which  asses  are  laclen.  At  each  of 
these  varied  scenes  the  defunct  is  present,  either 
seated  or  standing,  in  the  attitude  of  command. 
Here  (on  the  eastern  wall)  he  witnesses  the 
building  of  his  barks ; there  (on  the  southern 
wall)  he  superintends  carpenters  making  furni- 
ture for  his  house ; elsewhere  (on  the  western 
side  of  the  small  entrance  passage)  large  ships 
with  distended  sails,  and  barks  manned  by  rowers, 
float  on  the  Nile,  bent  on  his  errands.  In  fact, 
everything  in  these  pictures  shows  the  realisation 
of  the  first  petition  in  favour  of  the  defunct  over 
the  entrance  to  the  tomb.  Tih  evidently  leads 
a happy  and  prosperous  life  on  earth,  the  very 
ideal  that  must  have  been  conceived  by  a people 
entirely  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  is 
surrounded  by  his  family  and  his  servants,  and 
he  attains,  as  the  inscription  records,  “ a happy 
and  prolonged  old  age.”  (Compare  the  inscrip- 
tions of  the  tomb  of  Phtali-Hotep). 

2.  Scenes  relating  to  the  death  of  the  personage. 
— This  is  the  least  communicative  of  the  three 
parts.  The  defunct,  standing  erect  in  a bark, 
watches  the  conveyance  of  his  own  mummy  into 
the  necropolis.  But  this  representation  does  not 
occur  frequently,  and  one  easily  understands  the 
8 * 


100  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

sort  of  euphemism  which  compels  the  constructor 
of  the  tomb  to  pass  lightly  over  this  part  of  the 
decoration.  Moreover,  it  is  worthy  of  remark  that 
the  conveyance  of  the  mummy  is  the  only  really 
funereal  scene  which  these  pictures  offer  us.  We 
see  the  defunct  conducted  to  his  burial-place,  hut 
we  do  not  follow  him  to  the  regions  beyond  the 
grave.  All  the  representations  of  the  tomb  refer 
to  the  present  world  ; not  one  ventures  to  pene- 
trate beyond  that  mysterious  portal  which  sepa- 
rates our  frail  perishable  life  from  the  life  eternal. 

3.  Scenes  relating  to  the  bringing  in  of  funereal 
gifts. — The  chambers  we  are  now  visiting  were 
open  to  all  comers,  and  on  certain  fete-days  the 
relatives  of  the  deceased  met  together  here. 
Now,  a universal  custom  made  it  incumbent  upon 
those  relatives  to  bring  to  the  tomb  offerings  of 
all  sorts — bread,  wine,  the  produce  of  the  fields, 
and  the  limbs  of  animals  slaughtered  outside. 
These  are  what  our  inscription  calls  “ the 
funereal  gifts.”  The  pictures  relating  to  the 
bringing  in  of  these  gifts  are  numerous.  Both 
walls  of  the  little  chamber  on  the  right  of  the 
entrance  passage  of  Tili’s  tomb  are  covered  with 
scenes  of  this  nature  : servants  carrying  on  then- 
heads  or  shoulders,  or  on  their  extended  hands, 


THE  TOMB  OF  PHTAH-HOTEP. 


101 


victuals,  flowers,  and  trays  laden  with  vases.  On 
the  eastern  wall  of  the  same  entrance  passage 
has  been  represented  the  slaughtering  of  the 
bullocks  intended  to  constitute  an  important 
part  of  the  funereal  gifts.  In  the  interior  of  the 
tomb,  on  the  lowest  register  of  the  northern  wall, 
is  a long  file  of  women  driving  various  animals 
and  carrying  couffes  or  frail  baskets  on  their 
heads.  The  various  farms  of  the  defunct  are 
thus  symbolised,  and  are  all  made  to  contribute 
to  the  accomplishment  of  the  ceremony  for 
bringing  in  those  offerings  which  are  intended 
to  figure  in  kind  within  the  innermost  chamber 
of  the  tomb. 

Scenes  of  this  description  are  most  vividly 
conveyed  in  the  tomb  of  Plitah-Hotep.  There 
(on  the  western  wall,  between  the  two  stelae)  the 
defunct  is  seated,  and  before  him  passes  a regular 
procession  of  servants,  bringing  offerings.  At 
their  head  march  priests  chanting  sacred  hymns, 
while  behind  them  other  servants  of  the  house- 
hold heap  up  on  a table  the  offerings  destined 
to  the  ceremony.  Phtah-Hotep  himself  receives 
the  gifts,  and  carries  to  his  lips  a vase  con- 
taining one  of  the  substances  which  figure  in 
“the bringing  in  of  the  funereal  gifts.” 


102  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

We  should  be  carried  away  too  far  if  we  at- 
tempted to  describe  the  many  pictures,  so  varied 
in  tlieir  composition,  which  adorn  the  walls  of 
the  tombs  of  Tib  and  Phtali-Hotep.  What  we 
wish  to  impress  on  the  visitor’s  mind  is  the 
general  meaning  of  these  pictures,  that  he  may 
thereby  realise  the  character  of  that  part  of 
the  tomb  in  which  they  are  placed.  Let  us  re- 
member that  we  are  in  the  interior  of  a masta- 
bah,  on  a level,  however,  with  the  surrounding 
plain.  There  is  nothing  mournful  here,  nothing 
to  remind  us  of  death.  The  deceased  seems 
to  be  in  his  home ; he  receives  his  relatives 
and  the  people  of  his  household.  Moreover, 
he  himself  commenced  the  tomb  in  his  life- 
time, and  had  those  scenes  sculptured  on 
the  walls  which  we  have  just  endeavoured  to 
interpret. 

“The  Egyptians,”  says  Diodorus,  “call  their 
habitations  liostelries,  because  of  the  short 
space  of  time  during  which  they  sojourn  there; 
whilst  they  speak  of  their  tombs  as  eternal 
abodes.”  Such,  indeed,  is  the  true  character 
of  the  monuments  we  are  examining.  The  house, 
the  farm,  the  cattle,  the  fields,  the  harvest,  every- 
thing is  here  represented,  and  by  the  solidity 


THE  TRUE  CHARACTER  OF  TOMBS. 


103 


of  its  construction  the  tomb  becomes  truly  an 
“eternal  abode.” 

As  to  the  soul,  as  to  that  life  beyond  the  grave 
which  the  Egyptians  have  made  the  basis  of 
their  faith,  and  which  is  here  altogether 
wanting,  another  part  of  the  tomb  is  assigned 
to  it.  But  no  one  may  enter  therein,  and  it  must 
remain  for  ever  hidden.  This  is  the  sepulchral 
chamber,  for  ever  lost  to  view  under  the  ground, 
at  the  bottom  of  a pit,  the  entrance  of  which 
is  carefully  concealed  from  all  eyes.  There  lies 
the  mummy,  but  there  also  is  the  Ritual.  The 
defunct  has  crossed  the  awful  threshold,  and  is 
now  in  that  mysterious  world  where  gods  and 
pure  spirits  dwell. 

To  sum  up,  a Sakkarah  tomb  consists  of  an 
external  building  which  incloses  three  distinct 
parts,  viz. : 1st,  some  chambers  accessible  at  all 
times  and  most  frequently  decorated  with  sculp- 
tures ; 2nd,  a vertical  pit  * hidden  from  all  eyes, 

* It  so  happens  that  the  tomb  of  Tih  offers  a very  rare 
exception  to  this  rule.  The  pit,  as  may  now  be  seen  in 
the  centre  of  the  court,  is  not  vertical,  but  slopes  down 
like  the  passage  of  a pyramid.  The  principle,  however, 
is  the  same.  This  inclined  passage  was  filled  to  the  very 
bottom  with  blocks  of  stone.  The  sarcophagus  is  in  lime- 
stone, and  bears  no  inscription  whatever. 


104  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

into  which  no  one  at  the  present  time  can  descend 
without  ropes ; 3rd,  a subterranean  vault  where 
lies  the  mummy.  Let  us  add  that  all  the  other 
tombs  one  meets  with  in  Egypt  are  constructed 
on  the  same  principle. 


JOURNEY 


INTO  UPPER  EGYPT. 

A few  years  ago,  the  only  means  of  visiting 
Upper  Egypt  was  by  dahabiah.  But  now 
steamers  start  on  certain  clays  and  accommo- 
date a goodly  number  of  passengers. 

Thoroughly  to  enjoy  the  journey,  however,  it 
should  be  made  in  a dahabiah.  For  there  you 
feel  at  home,  and,  open  to  any  impression  that 
may  arise,  you  can  stop  where  you  please  ; you 
can  land  and  shoot,  or  visit  the  villages,  and 
never  leave  the  temples  and  monuments,  until 
you  feel  you  have  done  justice  to  them. 

It  is  true  you  are  sometimes  too  much  at  the 
mercy  of  the  wind,  but  no  one  should  undertake 
the  journey  in  a dahabiah  who  has  not  plenty 
of  time  to  spare.  To  the  traveller,  then,  who 
wishes  really  to  see  and  to  know  Egypt  we 
recommend  the  dahabiah.  As  to  the  steamer, 
we  have  little  advice  to  give.  Everything  on 
board  is  clean  and  comfortable ; meals  are  served 
at  regular  hours ; and  at  regular  hours  also  the 
temples  and  monuments  are  visited  and  admired 


106  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

in  company  with  a dragoman  and  a number 
of  fellow-travellers  whom  one  has  never  seen  be- 
fore. Egypt,  however,  cannot  be  seen  and  known 
in  this  manner ; only  a vague  idea  of  her  many 
beauties  and  her  vast  interest  can  thus  be  ob- 
tained, and  the  saving  of  time  and  of  money  can 
scarcely  compensate  for  so  serious  a drawback. 
But  unfortunately  in  these  fast  days  of  ours, 
when  everything  is  done  in  a hurry,  and  every 
man  seems  to  run  a race  against  time,  the 
steamer  is  in  general  demand,  and  the  journey 
by  dahabiah  has  become  a voyage  de  luxe.  So 
much  the  worse  for  Egypt,  which  cannot  be  done 
justice  to  in  a visit  “ a la  vapeur.” 

The  antiquities  which  may  be  seen  from  the 
banks  of  the  Nile,  or  which  are  described  in  the 
guide-books,  are  very  numerous.  We  will  only 
stop  at  those  of  real  archieological  interest,  and 
with  which  it  is  indispensable  for  the  traveller  to 
become  acquainted. 


I. — BENI-HASSAN. 

Miles 

From  Boolak  to  Bedrechyn  ... 

15 

,,  Bedrechyn  to  Zawyet  ... 

...  41 

,,  Zawyet  to  Beni-Souef  ... 

...  19 

,,  Beni-Souef  to  Fechn  ... 

...  22 

THE  PYRAMID  OF  MEYDOUM.  107 

Miles 

From  Feclin  to  Abou-Girgeh  ...  31 

,,  Abou-Girgeh  to  Kolosaneh  ...  13 

,,  Kolosaneh  to  Minieh  ...  ...  23 

,,  Minieh  to  Beni-Hassan  ...  15 

From  Boolak  to  Beni-Hassan  ...  179 


From  Boolak  to  Beni-Souef  the  route  is  rather 
wearisome.  The  banks  of  the  river  are  low,  the 
landscape  is  monotonous,  and  the  villages  fall 
flat  on  the  eye.  A strangely  shaped  pyramid 
attracts  the  traveller’s  attention  for  many  hours 
on  the  way.  This  is  the  Pyramid  of  Meydoum, 
which  from  a distance  seems  to  stand  on  the  top 
of  a hillock.  This  hillock,  however,  is  nothing 
but  an  artificial  mound  formed  by  the  crumbling 
away  of  the  outer  casing.  The  Arabs  call  it 
Haram-el-Katdab  (the  false  pyramid) ; for  they 
suppose  it  to  be  formed  of  the  rock  itself,  to 
which  a rough  sort  of  masonry  has  given  the 
shape  of  a pyramid,  an  assertion  we  are  not  in 
a position  to  verify,  as  the  pyramid  has  never 
been  opened. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  the  Pyramid  of  Meydoum 
is  certainly  the  most  carefully  constructed  and 
the  best-built  pyramid  in  Egypt.  What  we  see 
of  it  now  is  doubtless  only  its  nucleus,  and  when 


108  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

complete  (if  ever  it  was  complete),  it  was,  per- 
haps, built  in  steps  like  the  greater  number  of 
the  monuments  of  this  kind.  The  name  of  the 
king  who  caused  it  to  be  constructed  for  his 
own  tomb  is  unknown  ; there  is,  however,  some 
reason  to  suppose  that  it  was  Snefrou,  the  pre- 
decessor of  Cheops.  Around  the  pyramid  extends 
the  necropolis,  which  mostly  belongs  to  the  time 
of  the  first  of  these  two  Pharaohs.  It  was  in 
the  chamber  of  the  most  northern  mastabah  of 
this  necropolis  that  we  discovered,  in  January 
1872,  the  two  admirable  statues  which  are  now 
in  the  jewel-room  of  the  Boolak  Museum. 

From  Beni-Souef  the  scenery  becomes  rather 
more  animated,  and  one  begins  to  perceive, 
standing  out  from  the  horizon,  the  innumerable 
chimneys  of  the  sugar-factories  of  the  Khedive, 
which  promise  so  much  prosperity  and  riches 
for  Egypt  at  no  distant  time.  A little  beyond 
Kolosaneh,  we  pass  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
of  Gebel-Teir  (the  mountain  of  birds).  There, 
on  a rocky  eminence,  stands  the  convent  of  Deir- 
-el-Bakarah,  so  called  on  account  of  the  pulley  by 
which  travellers  formerly  gained  access  into  its 
interior.  It  is  inhabited  by  monks,  who  profess  7 
to  be  shoemakers  by  trade,  but  whose  principal 


THE  GROTTO  TOMBS  OF  BENI-HASSAN.  109 

occupation  would  seem  to  be  to  precipitate  them- 
selves into  the  water  as  soon  as  they  perceive 
the  approach  of  a dahabiah  or  a steamer,  and, 
having  forced  themselves  on  board,  to  solicit 
alms,  in  a scantiness  of  costume  of  the  impro- 
priety of  which  they  themselves  seem  to  be 
utterly  unconscious.  The  convent  is  rich,  and 
travellers  would  do  well  to  drive  away  these 
importunate  beggars,  who,  when  there  is  but 
little  wind,  often  cause  much  annoyance  by  their 
i-  audacious  obstinacy. 

Beyond  Minieh,  the  Arabian  chain  opens  it- 
self to  view  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  in  fairly 
regular  horizontal  lines.  With  the  assistance  of  a 
field-glass,  one  may  soon  discern  hollowed  out  in 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  about  one-tliird  of  the 
way  from  the  summit,  some  tombs  preceded  by 
columns.  These  are  the  grotto  tombs  of  Beni- 
-Hassan,  situated  about  two  miles  from  the  halt- 
ing-place of  the  boats.  They  are  not  all  of 
equal  interest,  the  most  remarkable  being  the 
two  last  to  the  north.  These  grottoes  are  tombs 
of  the  early  part  of  the  XIIth  dynasty  (3,000 
years  b.c.).  The  personages  buried  here  were, 
in  their  lifetime,  public  functionaries  in  the 
city  to  which  this  mountain  once  served  as  a 


110  THE  ^MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

burial-place,  but  of  which  we  know  neither  the 
name  nor  the  exact  site. 

The  Beni-Hassan  tombs  are  constructed  on 
the  same  principle  as  those  with  which  we  are 
already  acquainted  at  the  Pyramids  and  at 
Sakkarah.  They  consist  of : 1st,  an  accessible 
chamber  which  at  Sakkarah  and  at  the  Pyramids 
is  inclosed  within  the  mass  of  the  mastabah,  but 
which  here  is  hollowed  in  the  rock  ; 2nd,  a well 
carefully  hidden  and  blocked  up,  leading  down 
to  the  vault  (here  the  opening  of  the  well  is 
found  in  the  centre,  or  in  one  of  the  corners  of 
the  chamber) ; 3rd,  a funeral  vault  where  the 
sarcophagus  and  the  mummy  were  deposited, 
and  which  is  situated  alike  at  the  Pyramids,  at 
Sakkarah  and  at  Beni-Hassan,  at  the  bottom  of 
the  well.  The  style  of  the  decoration  is  also 
similar,  only  the  scenes  have  undergone  a slight 
change.  More  than  ever,  the  deceased  is  seen 
in  his  home.  Still  more  details  are  given  bear- 
ing upon  his  biography  and  the  various  scenes 
and  incidents  of  his  life.  He  is  hunting  wild 
animals  in  the  desert ; captives  bring  him  gifts ; 
acrobats  execute  in  his  presence  various  gym- 
nastic feats.  Moreover,  as  a characteristic  sign 
alike  of  the  Ancient  and  of  the  Middle  Empire, 


THE  GROTTO  TOMBS  OF  BENI-HASSAN.  Ill 

there  is  the  same  absence  of  all  representation 
of  the  divinity. 

As  we  have  already  said,  the  most  important 
of  the  Beni-Hassan  tombs  are  the  two  situated 
immediately  to  the  north.  Architects  will  un- 
doubtedly find  much  to  admire  in  their  style, 
and  it  is  well  emphatically  to  remind  the  reader 
that  the  magnificent  columns  which  adorn  the 
frontage  of  both  these  tombs,  and  also  the  in- 
terior of  one  of  them,  have  preceded  our  Christian 
era,  notwithstanding  their  Doric  appearance,  by 
some  three  thousand  years. 

The  first  tomb  to  the  north  is  that  of  Arneni- 
-Amenemha  (thus  called  after  a king  of  the  XIth 
dynasty  who  bore  these  two  names).  In  the 
inscription  which  covers  both  sides  of  the  en- 
trance doorway,  Ameni-Amenemha  relates  the 
history  of  his  life.  He  was  general  of  infantry, 
and  in  that  capacity  had  led  one  campaign  against 
the  Apou,  and  another  against  the  Ethiopians. 
The  king  who  reigned  at  the  time  was  Usertasen 
I.  It  was  with  the  son  of  this  king  that  Ameni- 
-Amenemha  marched  to  battle.  He  was  also 
governor  of  the  province  of  Sah,  and  in  that 
capacity  he  merited  the  approbation  of  his 
sovereign  by  his  good  administration,  &c.  &c. 


112  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

The  second  tomb  is  that  of  Noum-Hotep.  The 
paintings  therein  are  admirable,  although  they 
have  suffered  much  from  age,  and  have  fared 
still  worse  at  the  hands  of  those  travellers  who 
seem  to  think  that  the  greater  is  the  value  which 
attaches  to  a monument,  the  more  tempting  it 
is  to  take  away  from  that  value  by  engraving 
their  names  thereon.  The  tomb  of  Noum-Hotep 
dates,  like  that  of  Ameni-Amenemha,  from  the 
commencement  of  the  XIIth  dynasty,  hut  it  be- 
longs to  the  reign  of  Amenemha  II.  In  the  long 
inscription  which  encircles  the  sub-basement  of 
the  chamber,  Noum-Hotep  also  relates  the  history 
of  his  life.  His  father  and  mother  and  ancestors 
were  established  in  the  town  of  Menat-Koufou 
(possibly  Minieh).  His  father  had  resided  there 
as  a state  official  and  a governor  of  the  eastern 
provinces.  He  himself  was,  like  Ameni- 
- Amenemha,  governor  of  the  district  of  Sah. 
Then  follows  the  enumeration  of  his  good  deeds. 
He  has  honoured  the  gods,  he  has  caused  the 
temples  to  overflow  with  his  gifts,  and  so  forth. 

In  the  northern  wall  of  the  tomb  of  Noum- 
-Hotep,  a remarkably  curious  scene  is  represented, 
which  unfortunately  is  gradually  fading  away 
from  day  to  day.  Noum-Hotep  is  standing. 


. THE  AMOU  AT  BENI-HASSAN. 


113 


Personages  with  a strongly  marked  aquiline 
nose,  and  a black  and  pointed  beard,  are  ushered 
into  his  presence,  accompanied  by  their  wives 
and  children.  They  advance,  followed  by  their 
asses  and  by  antelopes  and  wild  goats,  which 
are  probably  all  the  cattle  they  possess.  Some 
among  them  carry  arms  (arrows,  pikes,  clubs), 
and  one  of  the  number  is  playing  a sort  of 
lyre.  An  inscription  explains  the  meaning  of 
this  picture.  These  are  thirty-seven  Amou,  who 
present  themselves  before  Noum-Hotep,  and  in 
token  of  submission  offer  him  the  precious 
aromatic  called  Nest’em.  This  episode  in  the 
life  of  Noum-Hotep  doubtless  possesses  in  itself 
but  a secondary  interest,  yet  it  deserves  attention 
from  its  being  the  most  ancient  known  example 
of  those  immigrations  of  an  Asiatic  race  which 
later  on.  played  so  important  a part  in  the  affairs 
of  Egypt.  The  word  Amou  means  literally 
shepherd,  or  cowherd,  and  is  the  generic  name  of 
the  Syro-Aramaic  races.  These  Amou  of  Noum- 
-Hotep  are  in  fact  the  first  instalment  of  the 
immigrating  hordes  who  were  in  all  ages  at- 
tracted by  the  proverbial  fertility  of  Egypt,  and 
settled  in  the  eastern  portion  of  the  Delta.  The 
Jews  were  eventually  to  be  included  in  the  Amou, 
9 


114  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

together  with  other  nations ; and  if  the  testimony 
afforded  by  the  monuments  of  San  can  suffi- 
ciently be  relied  on  when  estimated  by  the 
standard  of  such  of  the  Amou  as  are  still  to  be 
found  in  Egypt,  the  name  of  Amou  may  fairly 
be  given  also  to  the  Shepherd-Kings.  Indeed, 
the  much  dreaded  inhabitants  of  the  marshes 
spoken  of  by  historians  are  none  other  than 
Amou  who  had  settled  in  Egypt.  In  their  out- 
of-the-way  Bucholies,  where  they  had  settled 
down,  they  afforded  shelter  to  Psammetichus 
and  to  Amyrtceus.  Later  on,  under  the  name  of 
Bi-Amites  ( Bi  here  represents  the  article  in 
Egyptian),  they  gave  themselves  up  to  brigand- 
age, and  cut  to  pieces  the  troops  of  the  Kaliphs 
Merwan  and  Mamoun  that  had  been  sent  against 
them.  Lastly,  we  may  recognise  the  descend- 
ants of  the  same  Amou  in  the  present  inhabit- 
ants of  Lake  Menzaleh,  and  of  part  of  the 
eastern  district  of  the  Delta,  who  live  by  their 
fisheries  and  their  flocks,  and  who,  until  lately, 
relying  on  their  quality  as  foreigners,  obstinately 
refused  to  pay  certain  taxes.  The  Amou,  there- 
fore, of  the  Noum-Hotep  picture,  whatever  may 
have  been  their  tribe,  boast  a history.  After  a 
lapse  of  1,800  years,  they  stand  before  us  as  the 


ABYDOS. 


115 


first  foreign  people  who  yielded  to  that  fascinat- 
ing attraction  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  the  traces 
of  which  have  not  yet  altogether  disappeared. 

II.— ABYDOS. 

Miles 


From Beni-Hassan  to  Rliodah  ...  ...  12 

,,  Rliodah  to  Melawi  ...  ...  7^ 

,,  Melawi  to  Haggi-Kandil  ...  ...  7 

,,  Haggi-Kandil  to  Gebel-abou-Fedah  18 

,,  Gebel-abou-Fedah  to  Manfalout  ...  11^ 

,,  Manfalout  to  Siout...  ...  ...  27 

„ Siout  to  Aboutig  ...  ..  ...  17 

,,  Aboutig  to  Tahtah...  ...  ...  28| 

,,  Tahtah  to  Soliag 27 

,,  Sohag  to  Mensliieh  ...  ...  12 

,,  Mensliieh  to  Girgeh  ...  ...  13 

„ Girgeh  to  Bellianeli  ...  ...  8 


From  Beni-Hassan  to  Bellianeli 188£ 


From  Boolak  to  Bellianeli,  3672-  miles. 

From  Beni-Hassan  to  Bellianeli  (Abydos)  the 
route  is  long  and  somewhat  monotonous. 

The  first  halting-place  is  Rhodah,  where  the 
tourist  may  visit  the  magnificent  factory  founded 
by  his  highness  the  Khedive. 

The  traveller  who  has  a day  to  spare  might 
make  good  use  of  it  in  visiting  the  grottoes  of 
9 * 


116  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

Tel-Amarna,  and  Haggi-Kandil  would  then  he 
chosen  as  a landing-place.  The  grottoes  of  Tel- 
-Amarna  belong  to  the  XVIIIth  dynasty,  and  to 
that  still  obscure  period  when,  under  a king 
who  probably  laboured  under  monomania,  the 
Egyptian  religion  suddenly  degenerated  into  a 
schism.  If  these  tombs  were  not  situated  so  far 
from  the  river,  and  at  the  same  time  at  such  a 
distance  one  from  the  other,  they  would  certainly 
be  more  frequently  visited,  as  indeed  they  de- 
serve to  be.  They  are,  with  but  few  exceptions, 
the  tombs  of  officials  of  the  court  of  Amenophis 
IV.  (the  Khou-en-Aten  of  the  monuments),  and  of 
two  or  three  of  his  immediate  successors.  The 
personages  here  represented  are  remarkably  portly 
and  corpulent.  A fashion  has  been  introduced  in 
funeral  matters  under  Amenophis  IV.,  which  will 
prevail  again  during  the  reign  of  Raineses  II.  Under 
both  these  princes  the  artists  have  apparently 
made  it  a point  of  honour  to  give  the  figures 
they  executed  the  very  features  of  the  reigning 
king ; and  it  is  out  of  compliment  to  their  sove- 
reign that  the  individuals  buried  in  Tel-Amarna 
display  those  eunuch-looking  heads  and  those 
forms  overladen  with  fat,  which  impart  so  strange 
an  aspect  to  the  bas-reliefs  of  this  necropolis. 


THE  GROTTOES  OF  MAAEDEH. 


117 


Gebel-abou-Fedah  is  tlie  name  given  to  tbo 
precipitous  chain  of  mountains  which,  a little 
before  reaching  Manfalout,  rise  so  abruptly  from 
the  river.  High  up  in  these  mountains,  almost 
at  their  southernmost  extremity,  are  the  famous 
grottoes  of  Maabdeh.  Access  is  obtained  to 
them  through  a natural  fissure  in  the  rock,  as 
a house  would  be  entered  by  the  roof,  and  one 
finds  oneself  in  a spot  literally  filled  with  mum- 
mies of  crocodiles.  But  little  explored  at  present, 
these  mysterious  caves  have  probably  much  to 
reveal  to  us,  for  no  one  knows  how  far  they  ex- 
tend either  to  the  right  or  to  the  left.  With 
those  mummies  of  crocodiles  are  found  inter- 
mingled some  human  mummies,  the  richest  of 
which  are  gilded  from  head  to  foot,  whilst  even 
the  poorest  can  boast  of  some  sort  of  decoration 
in  the  form  of  square-shaped  leaves  of  gold  placed 
in  immediate  contact  with  the  skin.  One  may 
well  wonder,  in  penetrating  into  the  caves  of 
Maabdeh,  whence  could  come  these  thousands 
and  thousands  of  crocodiles  which  lie  in  heaps 
one  over  the  other.  For  now-a-days,  it  is  the 
rarest  possible  thing  to  see  even  one  or  two  of 
these  reptiles  during  a voyage  on  the  Nile.  The 
answer  is  a simple  one.  In  the  first  place,  but 


118  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

a short  while  ago  crocodiles  were  much  more 
frequently  seen  than  they  are  now ; moreover, 
the  mountain  of  Gebel-abou-Fedah  was  always 
one  of  their  favourite  resorts.  Let  the  traveller 
watch  carefully  the  fissures  of  the  rocks  which 
lie  closest  to  the  water’s  edge.  Very  frequently 
what  at  first  sight  appears  to  he  nothing  hut  a 
log  of  wood  lying  against  the  rock,  proves  to  be 
a crocodile  with  extended  jaws  basking  in  the 
sun.  Now,  if  the  description  we  have  given  of 
the  tomb  of  Tib  (page  98)  is  not  already  for- 
gotten by  the  reader,  it  will  be  seen  that  not 
only  the  crocodile,  but  even  the  hippopotamus 
also  formerly  existed  close  to  Memphis,  i.e. 
almost  as  low  down  as  Cairo  ; it  is  evident, 
therefore,  that  these  animals  must  formerly 
have  been  found  on  the  Nile  in  far  greater 
numbers  than  at  present.  Moreover,  let  it  be 
borne  in  mind  that  in  the  days  of  Abd-el-Latyf 
(1190  of  the  present  era)  hippopotami  were  still 
to  be  found  in  the  Damietta  branch.  Therefore, 
seeing  what  a number  of  crocodile-mummies  are 
found,  not  only  at  Maabdeh,  but  also  in  various 
other  parts  of  Egypt,  one  may  rest  assured  that 
once  upon  a time  the  Nile  produced  these  crea- 
tures in  considerable  numbers.  When  Cham- 


CROCODILES. 


119 


pollion  passed  Keneh,  he  saw  fourteen  crocodiles 
“in  solemn  conclave  ” on  an  islet.  If  the  like 
good  fortune  never  now  falls  to  the  lot  of  the 
tourist,  it  is  because  the  crocodile  is  driven  back 
farther  and  farther  south  by  the  fire-arms  of 
travellers,  and  the  constant  passing  of  steam- 
boats, to  such  an  extent  that  the  Nile  is  likely 
ere  long  to  know  them  no  more  below  Assouan, 
except  by  tradition. 

Manfalout,  Siout,'*  Tahtah,  Sohag  and  Girgeh 
are  passed  one  after  the  other  in  rapid  succession, 
and  have  but  little  to  recommend  them  to  the 
antiquarian.  For  those  who  wish  to  visit  Abydos, 
the  next  halting-place  would  be  Bellianeh.  For- 
merly Abydos  was  reached  from  Girgeh,  the 
route  lying  along  the  dyke  as  far  as  the  desert,  a 
distance  of  twelve  to  thirteen  miles,  but  now  the 
road  from  Bellianeh  saves  half  the  distance. 

At  Abydos  are  to  he  seen  the  Temple  of  Sethi, 
the  Temple  of  Rameses,  the  Tomb  of  Osiris, 
and  the  Necropolis. 

* Siout,  however,  deserves  a visit,  being  the  capital  of 
the  province,  and  having  an  important  trade  with  Darfur, 
from  whence  caravans  arrive  periodically.  Its  pottery 
works  are  justly  renowned.  It  is  a picturesque  place, 
and  the  bazaars  afford  many  interesting  studies,  both  of 
costume  and  manners. 


120  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

The  temple  of  Sethi  is  the  first  temple  which 
is  visited  in  Upper  Egypt.  In  order  thoroughly 
to  understand  the  meaning  of  the  numerous 
pictures  which  adorn  its  walls,  the  reader  is 
recommended  to  refer  to  the  explanations  given 
in  the  first  pages  of  this  volume.  The  king  who 
founded  the  temple  is  in  the  presence  of  one  or 
more  divinities  ; such  is,  nine  times  out  of  ten, 
the  motif  of  each  one  of  the  pictures  which  form 
the  decoration  of  the  temple.  The  temple  of 
Sethi  is  the  Memnonium  of  Strabo,  deservedly 
famous  for  the  magnificence  of  its  sculptures. 
It  was  founded  by  Sethi  I.,  the  father  of  Eameses 
II.  All  that  bears  the  name  of  this  prince  is 
remarkable  for  the  artistic  manner  of  its  treat- 
ment ; while  on  the  contrary  the  sculptures  of 
Eameses  are  poor,  and  too  often  of  a most  in- 
different workmanship.  The  temple  of  Sethi, 
moreover,  is  one  of  the  edifices  of  Egypt  the 
purport  and  meaning  of  which  are  most  difficult 
to  grasp.  Properly  speaking,  it  is  composed  of 
seven  naves  or  bays,  leading  into  seven  sanc- 
tuaries, as  if  dedicated  to  seven  different  deities. 
The  southernmost  aisle,  which  is  joined  on  in 
such  an  irregular  manner  to  the  principal  build- 
ing, constitutes  another  problem  difficult  of  solu- 


ABYDOS — THE  TEMPLE  OF  SETHI. 


121 


tion.  Then  again,  both  its  founders,  the  kings 
Sethi  and  Eameses,  are  represented  in  company 
one  with  the  other  in  such  a fashion  that  -we 
must  inevitably  conclude  that  these  two  kings 
reigned  conjointly ; or,  in  other  terms,  that  the 
temple  was  in  course  of  construction  when  the 
father  associated  his  son  with  him  on  the  throne. 
By  way  of  information  we  may  add  that  it  was 
in  the  temple  of  Sethi  that  we  discovered  a 
chronological  table  of  kings,  more  complete  and 
in  a better  state  of  preservation  than  that  which 
has  enriched  the  collection  of  the  British  Museum 
(see  the  ascending  passage  to  the  south  of  the 
second  Hall  of  Columns).  Sethi  as  king,  and 
Bameses  still  as  a prince,  are  there  represented 
standing ; the  one  offering  the  sacrifice  of  fire, 
the  other  reciting  the  sacred  hymn.  Before 
them,  as  in  a sort  of  synoptical  diagram,  are  the 
cartouches  of  the  seventy-six  kings  (Sethi  has 
included  himself  among  the  number),  to  whom 
this  homage  is  paid,  and  it  is  not  without  a 
certain  emotion  that  one  reads  at  the  head  of  the 
proud  list  the  name  of  Menes,  the  ancient  and 
venerable  founder  of  the  Egyptian  monarchy.* 

A little  to  the  north  of  the  temple  of  Sethi 
# For  a description  of  tlie  vaulted  chambers,  see  page  38. 


122 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


is  that  of  Eameses  II.  Of  the  latter,  however, 
nothing  remains  but  the  walls  to  a height  of 
scarcely  five  feet ; nor  have  the  excavations  that 
have  been  carried  on  here  enabled  us  to  draw 
out  a complete  plan  of  this  temple,  from  which 
the  “ Tablet  of  Abydos  ” at  the  British  Museum 
was  carried  away  — a mutilated  copy  of  the 
table  we  found  entire  in  the  temple  of  Sethi.  It 
is  easily  understood  that  a temple  so  completely 
devastated  as  the  one  we  are  at  present  contem- 
plating should  throw  but  little  light  on  the  ques- 
tion of  mythology.  But  the  question  of  origin  is 
by  no  means  so  obscure,  and  we  know  for  certain 
that  the  temple  of  Eameses  II.  is  contemporary 
with  the  Paris  obelisk,  that  is  to  say,  it  was  be- 
gun by  Eameses  II.  when  he  was  associated  with 
his  father  on  the  throne,  and  was  completed  by 
him  after  he  had  become  sole  monarch. 

Still  proceeding  towards  the  north,  we  come 
upon  a large  encircling  wall  of  crude  brick. 
This  is  the  ancient  site  of  Thinis,  the  cradle  of 
the  Egyptian  monarchy ; here  also  stood  the 
tomb  of  the  Osiris  of  Abydos,  which  was  to  the 
inhabitants  of  Egypt  what  the  Holy  Sepulchre 
is  to  Christians.  Unfortunately  there  now  re- 
mains absolutely  nothing  of  Egypt’s  most  an- 


ABYDOS — THE  TOMB  OF  OSIRIS. 


123 


eient  and  most  venerated  sanctuary,  nor  is  there 
the  faintest  hope  that  even  the  foundations  will 
ever  he  brought  to  light  by  any  fresh  excavations. 
Close  by,  however,  and  also  comprised  within  the 
enceinte,  is  a tumulus,  from  which  one  is  jus- 
tified in  expecting  great  results.  This  is  the 
Kom-es- Sultan.  The  Kom-es-Sultan  is  not  a 
natural  mound  ; it  is  the  result  of  the  constant 
accumulation  of  tombs  which  have  thus  been 
heaped  up  one  over  the  other,  through  suc- 
cessive generations.  According  to  Plutarch,  the 
wealthy  inhabitants  were  brought  from  all  parts 
of  Egypt  to  be  interred  at  Abydos,  in  order  that 
they  might  repose  close  to  Osiris.  In  all  proba- 
bility, the  tombs  of  Kom-es-Sultan  belong  to  the 
personages  'of  whom  Plutarch  speaks.  The  only 
interest  that  this  tumulus  of  Kom-es-Sultan 
possesses  is  that  there  can  he  no  doubt  the 
famous  tomb  of  Osiris  is  not  far  off,  and  certain 
indications  would  lead  one  to  believe  that  it  is 
hollowed  out  of  the  self-same  rock  which  serves 
as  the  basis  of  this  mound,  so  that  the  person- 
ages interred  there  repose  as  near  as  possible  to 
the  last  resting-place  of  their  beloved  Osiris. 

The  excavations  now  being  carried  on  at  Kom- 
-es-Sultan  have  therefore  a double  interest:  they 


124  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

may  furnish  us  -with  valuable  tombs  which  be- 
come more  and  more  ancient  the  further  we 
penetrate  into  the  sides  of  the  mountain,  so 
that  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  hope  that  in 
time  we  may  come  upon  some  belonging  even 
to  the  Ist  dynasty.  In  the  second  place,  they 
may  any  day  lead  us  to  the  discovery  of  the  still 
unknown  entrance  of  the  divine  tomb,  if  indeed 
it  were  ever  a subterranean  vault. 

As  for  the  necropolis  itself,  however  much 
interest  it  may  have  afforded  during  our  excava- 
tions (and  it  furnished  the  greater  part  of  the 
valuable  collection  of  stelae  which  is  to  be  seen  at 
the  Boolak  Museum),  its  appearance  has  been 
so  entirely  changed  by  those  excavations,  that  it 
has  lost  much  of  its  attraction  for  the  ordinary 
traveller.  Let  us  state,  in  conclusion,  that  the 
tombs  of  the  necropolis  of  Abydos  belong  prin- 
cipally to  the  VIth  dynasty  (3700  years  b.c.),  to 
the  XIIth  dynasty  (3000  years  b.c.),  and  to  the 
XIIIth  dynasty  (2800  years  b.c.)  We  may  fur- 
ther notice  that  the  greater  number  of  the  tombs 
of  the  XIIIth  dynasty  consist  of  pyramids  econo- 
mically built  of  crude  bricks,  the  interior  being 
hollowed  out  in  the  form  of  a cupola ; and  again, 
that  it  is  not  at  all  unusual,  among  the  tombs  of 


DENDERAH. 


123 


this  period,  as  also  of  the  VIth  dynasty,  to  find 
vaulted  roofs  which  take  the  form  of  a pointed 
arch,  and  where,  moreover,  the  bricks  of  the 
ogive  are  wedge-shaped. 


III.— DENDERAH. 

Miles 

From  Bellianeh  to  Farschout 20 

,,  Farschout  to  Kasr-es-sayad  ...  8 

„ Kasr-es-sayad  to  Keneh ...  ...  30 

From  Bellianeh  to  Keneh  ...  ...  58 


From  Boolak  to  Keneh,  425J  miles. 

Between  Bellianeh  and  Keneh  there  is  no  place 
particularly  deserving  of  the  traveller’s  attention, 
but  Farschout  has  an  industrial  establishment 
of  great  importance.  Tombs  of  the  VIth  dynasty 
are  to  be  seen  at  Kasr-es-sayad.  Some  of  the 
rock  tombs  of  this  locality  are  covered  with 
numberless  Coptic  inscriptions  which  are  worth 
studying.  Keneh  is  with  Siout,  Esneh  and 
Assouan,  one  of  the  modern  towns  of  Upper  Egypt 
which  travellers  usually  visit. 

Keneh  is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
river;  and  almost  immediately  opposite,  on  the 
left  hank,  is  the  temple  of  Denderah.  This  is 
one  of  the  best  preserved  and  the  most  important 


126 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


of  Egypt’s  temples.  It  was  built,  like  all  Egyp- 
tian temples,  in  the  centre  of  a vast  encircling 
wall  of  crude  bricks,  which  was  so  high  and  so 
thick  that  when  the  two  gates  were  closed 
through  which  admission  was  obtained,  nothing 
could  be  seen  or  heard  of  what  was  taking  place 
inside.  The  history  of  the  temple  of  Denderah  may 
be  summed  up  in  a few  words.  Its  foundations 
were  laid  under  Ptolemy  XI. ; its  construction 
was  finished  under  Tiberius,  and  its  decoration 
under  Nero.  Jesus  Christ  was  living  at  Jerusalem 
when  this  temple  was  being  completed. 

No  one  can  fail  to  be  struck  with  the  profusion 
of  inscriptions,  of  pictures  and  of  bas-reliefs 
with  which  it  is  covered.  Even  the  ceilings,  the 
doors,  the  windows,  the  basement,  and  the  walls 
of  the  staircases  are  crowded  in  every  part.  It 
is  true  the  composition  of  these  many  pictures 
is  the  same  throughout.  The  king  presents 
himself  before  one  of  the  divinities  of  the  temple 
and  recites  a prayer ; he  solicits  a favour  which 
is  always  granted  ; this  is  the  inevitable  subject. 

A stranger  standing  in  the  midst  of  the 
temple  of  Denderah  cannot  help  wondering  what 
could  be  the  intention  of  this  vast  assemblage  of 
buildings.  This  we  will  try  to  explain. 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  DENDERAH. 


127 


According  to  the  purpose  for  which  they 
were  intended,  the  chambers  of  the  temple  of 
Denderah  may  be  divided  into  four  groups,  as 
follows  : 

1.  The  first  group  consists  only  of  the  hall  A 
(see  the  accompanying  plan).  The  hall  A is 
merely  a sort  of  monumental  frontage.  Open  to 
the  light  of  day,  and  exposed  to  all  external 
sounds,  it  has  no  direct  relationship  with  the 
temple  properly  so  called.  Two  small  doors  are 
let  in  at  the  sides.  Through  these  doors  the 
priests  passed  to  and  fro,  and  the  offerings  were 
brought  in  which  played  so  important  a part  in 
the  innermost  service  of  the  temple.  Through 
the  large  portal  the  king  alone  had  the  right  to 
pass.  The  king  presented  himself  before  it, 
clothed  in  his  long  robe,  wearing  sandals  on  his 
feet  and  leaning  on  his  staff.  Before  he  could 
be  allowed  to  penetrate  into  the  temple  it  was 
necessary  that  the  gods  should  recognise  him  as 
king  of  Upper  and  of  Lower  Egypt,  and  it  is  to 
the  ceremonies  commemorating  this  consecra- 
tion that  the  first  pictures  to  the  right  and  to 
the  left  of  the  entrance  gate  are  dedicated. 
There  we  see  the  king  coming  out  of  his  palace 
and  presenting  himself  before  the  gate  of  the 


128  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

temple.  To  the  right,  i.e  on  the  northern  side, 
he  is  recognised  as  king  of  Lower  Egypt ; to  the 
left,  i.e.  on  the  southern  side,  he  is  entitled 
king  of  Upper  Egypt.  On  his  arrival,  Thoth  and 
Horus  pour  over  his  head  the  emblems  of  purifi- 
cation. The  goddesses  Ouat’i  and  Suvan  crown 
him  with  the  double  crown.  After  which  Mont 
of  Thebes  and  Toum  of  Heliopolis  take  the  king 
by  the  hand,  and  conduct  him  into  the  presence 
of  the  goddess  Hathor.*  Thus  the  hall  A is  only 
an  entrance,  a place  of  passage.  Here  it  is  that 
the  king  prepares  himself  for  those  ceremonies 
which  we  shall  see  him  celebrating  in  the  interior 
of  the  edifice. 

2.  The  second  group  is  composed  of  the 
chambers  B,  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  H,  I,  J and  K.  We 
are  now  in  the  temple  properly  so  called.  Here 
all  is  closely  shut  in,  all  is  sombre,  all  is  silent. 
It  was  in  these  ten  chambers  of  the  second 
group  that  the  priests  assembled,  and  that  the 
preparations  for  the  fetes  were  carried  on.  A 
sort  of  calendar  engraved  on  the  walls  of  the 
hall  B tells  us  what  was  the  nature  of  these 
fetes.  They  consisted  mostly  in  processions 
which  went  round  the  temple,  ascended  the 

* For  a further  description  of  these  pictures,  see  p.  40. 


I 


Temple  of 


Dende rah 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  DENDERAH. 


129 


terraces,  and  descended  again  in  order  to  en- 
compass the  encircling  wall,  according  to  the 
prescribed  rites.  Now  it  was  from  the  hall  B 
that  these  processions  started.  The  other 
chambers  served  for  the  preparation  of  the 
offerings  destined  to  figure  in  the  fetes,  aud  also 
as  a place  where  the  sacred  emblems,  carried  in 
state  during  the  processions,  were  deposited 
and  carefully  preserved.  The  halls  C and  D 
were  annexes  of  the  hall  B,  and  contained  altars 
before  which  certain  prayers  were  recited  as  the 
procession  passed.  In  the  hall  E were  kept  the 
four  barks  which  played  so  conspicuous  a part 
in  the  processions.  When  not  in  use  these  barks 
were  placed  upon  large  chests,  and  when  required 
for  the  service  of  the  temple  staves  of  wood  were 
adjusted  into  them,  by  means  of  which  they 
were  carried  about.  In  the  centre  of  each  of 
these  barks  was  a small  edifice,  always  securely 
closed,  wherein  lay  placed  the  mystic  emblem  of 
the  particular  divinity  to  whom  the  bark  was  de- 
dicated. By  way  of  additional  precaution,  a thick 
white  veil  was  thrown  over  this  structure  which 
was  thus  completely  hidden  from  all  eyes. 
(Compare  with  this  the  description  of  the  ark  in 
the  Bible.)  The  chamber  F is  a laboratory,  in 
10 


130  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

which  were  prepared  the  oils  and  essences  with 
which  the  temple  and  the  statues  of  the  gods  were 
to  be  perfumed.  In  the  chamber  G were  collected 
together  and  consecrated  such  products  of  the 
earth  as  were  to  he  introduced  in  the  ceremonies. 
The  chambers  H and  I served  as  places  of 
reception,  the  one  for  the  offerings  arriving 
from  Lower  Egypt,  the  other  for  those  from 
Upper  Egypt ; and  here  also  were  received  and 
consecrated  certain  offerings  of  loaves  of  bread 
and  of  libations.  The  chamber  J was  the  treasury 
of  the  temple,  and  this  is  why  each  of  the 
pictures  with  which  its  walls  are  lined  exhibits  to 
us  the  king  in  the  act  of  consecrating  and  offering 
to  the  divinity  sistra,  pectorals,  mirrors,  utensils 
of  all  sorts  fashioned  with  gold  and  silver  and 
lapis-lazuli.  In  chamber  K were  deposited  the 
vestments  with  which  they  draped  the  statues  of 
the  gods.  Coffers  scrupulously  closed  contained 
these  vestments,  and  each  province  of  Egypt  was 
expected  to  contribute  to  the  keeping  up  of  the 
sacred  stores  in  chamber  K. 

3.  The  third  group  contains  the  chapel  L, 
the  court  M,  the  halls  N,  0,  P,  Q,  the  two  flights 
of  stairs,  the  one  to  the  north,  the  other  to  the 
south,  and  lastly  the  little  temple  with  twelve 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  DERDERAH. 


131 


columns  situated  on  the  terraces,  and  which 
we  cannot  introduce  into  our  plan.  The  prin- 
cipal fete  of  the  temple,  that  which  is  celebrated 
on  the  first  day  of  the  year,  and  which  has  for 
its  object  the  first  appearance  of  the  star  Sirius, 
is  of  such  vast  importance  that  at  Denderah  a 
smaller  temple  has  been  dedicated  to  it,  inclosed 
as  it  were  inside  the  larger  temple,  and  it  is  this 
smaller  temple  that  is  composed  of  the  various 
parts  which  we  have  been  enumerating.  Prayers 
were  recited  in  the  chapel  L.  In  the  court  M 
the  various  offerings  were  collected  together,  as 
also  were  the  different  limbs  of  the  victims 
slaughtered  for  the  sacrifice.  The  little  chamber 
N was  another  place  of  deposit  for  the  many 
valuable  objects  which  were  brought  forth  in 
this  special  fete.  In  the  three  chambers  0,  P 
and  Q,  the  king  consecrated  certain  offerings. 
Like  the  other  fetes  of  the  temple,  that  of  the 
new  year  consisted  chiefly  in  processions,  the 
details  of  which  will  be  found  on  the  walls  of 
both  the  flights  of  stairs.  The  king  marches  at 
the  head;  thirteen  priests  carrying  standard  poles 
crowned  with  the  emblems  of  different  divinities 
follow  him,  and  so  forth  ; thus  constituted,  the 
procession  ascended  by  the  northern  staircase, 
10  * 


132  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

stopped  on  the  terrace  at  the  hypsethral  temple, 
the  twelve  columns  of  which  are  dedicated  each 
to  a particular  month  of  the  year,  and  descended 
by  the  southern  staircase. 

4.  The  fourth  group  comprises  the  corridor 
R,*  the  chambers  S,  T,  U,  Y,  X,  Y,  Z,  A’,  B’,  C’ 
and  D’.  This  part  of  the  edifice  is  more  parti- 
cularly reserved  to  the  myth,  and  here  was  to  be 
found  the  nucleus  of  the  whole,  a niche  situated 
in  the  chamber  Z.  Here  the  king  alone  could 
penetrate ; here,  hidden  from  all  eyes,  was  the 
mysterious  emblem  of  the  temple,  a large  sis- 
trum  of  gold.  The  chambers  themselves  were 
not  set  apart  for  any  distinct  purpose,  as  were 
the  others,  although  in  them  were  preserved 
various  objects  connected  with  the  religious  rites, 
but  they  served  more  especially  for  the  recital  of 
prayers.  In  the  chamber  S it  is  Isis  who  is 
invoked.  The  chamber  T is  consecrated  to 
Osiris.  Here  Osiris  is  supposed  to  be  recalled 
from  death  to  life,  which  was  symbolised  in  this 
chamber  by  changing  the  vestments  that  covered 
the  statue  of  the  god.  The  chamber  U was 
sacred  to  Osiris-Onnophris.  Here  the  god  restores 

* We  have  already  described,  at  page  35,  a part  of  the 
corridor  R. 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  DENDERAH. 


138 


youth  to  his  body,  imparts  fresh  vigour  to  his 
limbs,  and  forthwith  comes  before  us  as  the 
vanquisher  of  his  enemies  represented  by  a 
crocodile,  which  the  god,  armed  with  a pike, 
“ drives  backwards.”  In  the  chamber  Y the 
work  of  resurrection  is  completed,  and  the  god 
appears  under  the  form  of  Hor-sam-ta-ui.  In  the 
chambers  X and  Y,  it  is  Hathor  who  is  wor- 
shipped, taken  in  her  attributes  of  divine  geni- 
trix,  out  of  whom  the  Sun  daily  takes  his  renewed 
birth.  The  chamber  Z is  in  the  axis  of  the  temple, 
and  the  principal  divinity  is  there  adored  under 
the  most  comprehensive  titles.  Lastly,  in  the 
chambers  A’,  B’,  C’,  D’,  a special  worship  is  paid 
to  Pasclit,  considered  as  the  fire  that  vivifies  ; to 
Horus,  considered  as  the  light  which  has  con- 
quered darkness,  and  to  the  terrestrial  Hathor. 

Such  is  the  temple  properly  so  called,  which 
therefore  is  not,  like  our  churches,  a place  where 
the  faithful  meet  together  to  unite  in  prayer.  We 
find  neither  dwellings  for  the  priests,  nor  any 
place  of  initiation,  nor  traces  of  oracle  or  divina- 
tion ; nor  is  there  anything  to  indicate  that  with 
the  exception  of  the  king  and  the  priests  any 
person  was  ever  permitted  to  enter  here.  The 
temple  was  a sacred  depository,  a place  of  pre- 


134  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

paration  and  of  consecration.  Within  its  walls 
certain  fetes  were  celebrated  and  processions 
organised,  and  the  sacred  vessels  carefully  stored 
away ; if  inside  all  was  dark  and  sombre — and 
nothing  whatever  indicates  the  use  of  torches 
or  any  other  artificial  light — that  darkness  was 
intended  to  intensify  the  mystery  of  the  cere- 
monies, while  at  the  same  time  it  secured  the 
only  mode  known  of  preserving  the  precious  ob- 
jects and  the  sacred  vestments  from  the  ravages 
of  insects,  from  flies,  from  the  penetrating  dust, 
and  from  the  scorching  sun.  As  to  the  principal 
fetes  of  which  the  temple  was  at  once  the  centre 
and  the  starting-point,  they  consisted  chiefly  in 
processions  which  were  carried  on  outside  in  the 
full  sunshine,  as  far  as  the  extreme  boundary  of 
the  great  encircling  wall  of  crude  bricks.  In 
short,  the  temple  was  not  entirely  contained 
within  its  stone  walls,  its  true  limits  being 
rather  those  of  the  enceinte.  In  the  temple 
itself  the  gods  were  housed  and  draped  and  pre- 
pared for  the  fetes ; it  was  in  fact  a sort  of 
sacristy  where  none  hut  the  king  or  the  priests 
might  enter-  But  within  the  encircling  wall  long 
processions  were  organised,  and  if  the  general 
public  were  not  admitted,  we  may  at  least  believe 


THE  CRYPTS  OF  DENDER.VH. 


135 


that  some  few  initiated  were  privileged  to  take 
part  in  these  processions.  We  may  add  that 
the  numerous  Coptic  and  Arab  dwellings  which 
have  invaded  the  whole  circumference  of  the 
temple,  and  even  of  the  enceinte  itself,  no  longer 
permit  of  our  fully  realising  what  this  temple 
might  once  have  been,  when  it  arose  stately 
and  isolated,  the  centre  of  a vast  area  shut  in  at 
the  four  corners  of  heaven  by  high  and  sombre 
walls  of  crude  brick. 

There  is  another  part  of  the  temple  of  which 
as  yet  we  have  said  nothing,  but  which  travellers 
are  in  the  habit  of  visiting — we  mean  the  crypts. 
These  are  long,  narrow,  secret  corridors  inter- 
polated into  the  thickness  of  the  foundations  and 
of  the  inner  walls  of  the  temple.  It  must  have 
been  the  intention  of  the  architect  to  make  of 
these  crypts  secret  hiding-places ; they  had  neither 
doors,  nor  windows,  nor  opening  of  any  sort,  and 
when  they  were  entered  it  wras  only  by  some 
special  mechanism  that  the  stone  which  myste- 
riously blocked  up  the  entrance  could  be  removed. 
For  what  purpose  could  those  crypts  have  been  in- 
tended ? There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the  actual 
use  to  wdiicli  they  were  put.  Statues  of  the  divini- 
ties in  gold,  in  silver,  in  lapis-lazuli,  and  in  wood 


136  ‘ THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

■were  secreted  there,  as  also  sistra  and  jewelled 
collars  and  emblems  of  all  kinds;  and  on  certain 
fete-days  these  were  fetched  away,  that  they  might 
be  carried  in  state  in  the  processions.  Except  on 
the  rare  occasions  when  these  sacred  objects  were 
thus  brought  out  to  lend  their  aid  to  the  embel- 
lishment of  the  religious  ceremonies  the  crypts 
were  so  securely  closed  that  from  the  inner  cham- 
bers of  the  temple  their  existence  would  never  for 
a moment  have  been  suspected.  But  if  we  may  he 
content  with  this  explanation  of  the  use  to  which 
these  crypts  were  put,  it  is  by  no  means  so  easy  to 
determine  for  what  specific  purpose  they  were 
originally  constructed.  Numberless  inscriptions 
cover  the  walls ; unfortunately,  however,  minute 
as  are  the  details  which  these  inscriptions  afford 
us  respecting  the  dimensions  of  the  objects  therein 
contained,  their  numbers  and  the  material  of  which 
they  are  composed,  these  same  inscriptions  are 
trivial  and  utterly  devoid  of  interest  upon  all  other 
points.  Notwithstanding  all  one’s  efforts,  it  is 
therefore  impossible  to  make  the  crypts  tell  their 
own  tale  as  to  their  relationship  to  the  temple. 
One  can  only  imagine  that  the  construction  of 
those  corridors  hidden  underground  bears  a certain 
analogy  to  the  ideas,  so  abundantly  illustrated 


THE  OSIRIS  OF  DENDERAH. 


137 


throughout  the  temple,  of  burial  and  of  resur- 
rection, of  life  latent  and  life  active,  of  germina- 
tion unseen  and  the  efflorescence  that  ensues. 

The  terraces  also  -will  be  found  interesting. 
We  have  already  made  acquaintance  with  the 
little  temple  of  twelve  columns.  There  are  six 
other  chambers  equally  worthy  of  notice.  These 
six  chambers  are  divided  into  two  groups  of 
three  chambers  each,  one  group  to  the  north, 
the  other  to  the  south  ; and  the  two  groups 
form  together  a small  temple  which  is  dedicated 
to  Osiris. 

According  to  the  invariable  tradition,  both  of 
the  monuments  and  of  classical  writers,  Osiris 
is  always  described  as  the  universal  god  of  the 
Egyptians.  Egypt  was  divided  into  forty-two 
provinces  or  nornes,  and  each  of  these  forty-two 
nomes  possessed  a local  Osiris,  so  that,  correctly 
speaking,  Egypt  recognised  forty-two  different 
forms  of  Osiris.  Now  the  deity  of  the  small 
temple  on  the  terrace  is  the  Osiris  of  the  nome 
of  Denderah,  worshipped  under  the  name  of 
Osiris- An. 

As  to  the  little  temple  being  divided  into  two 
groups  of  chambers,  the  one  to  the  north,  the 
other  to  the  south,  it  was  on  account  of  the  local 


138  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

deities  of  tlie  same  name  which  the  Osiris  of 
Denderah  admitted  by  his  side  as  secondary 
divinities.  On  the  northern  side  were  the  Osiris 
of  the  northern  nomes,  whilst  the  Osiris  of  the 
southern  provinces  had  access  to  the  southern 
chambers.  This  explanation  will  afford  a clue 
to  the  particular  purpose  for  which  the  little 
temple  of  the  terraces  was  constructed.  Osiris, 
and  more  particularly  the  Osiris  of  Denderah, 
was  there  worshipped ; but  in  thus  becoming  a 
local  divinity  the  Osiris  of  Denderah  lost  none 
of  the  qualities  of  the  principal  Osiris  ; and  what 
we  see  on  the  walls  of  the  little  temple  refers 
chiefly  to  the  Osiris  of  the  national  traditions, 
that  is  to  say,  to  the  Osiris  who  came  down 
upon  earth  as  the  benefactor  of  mankind,  who 
was  put  to  death,  and  who  rose  again.  We  here 
become  acquainted  with  the  forty-two  names  of 
Osiris  in  the  forty-two  nomes.*  We  find  long 
processions  of  the  gods  carrying  in  vases  the 
members  of  Osiris  which  each  town  possesses.!  In 

* Frieze  of  tlie  second  chamber  to  the  S. 

f Second  room  to  the  S.  In  this  chamber  was  formerly 
the  planisphere  or  zodiac  which  is  now  in  Paris ; the 
traces  of  its  removal  may  still  be  seen.  The  astronomical 
representations  sculptured  on  the  ceiling  of  four  of  the 
chambers  of  the  little  temple  have  no  direct  relationship 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  DENDERAH — OSIPJS.  139 


another  place  the  forty-two  funeral  biers  of  Osiris 
are  represented.*  Then  come  the  twelve  hours  of 
the  day,  with  a notice  of  the  prayers  to  he  said  at 
each  hour;  and  also  the  twelve  hours  of  the  night, 
the  whole  being  divided  after  the  same  manner 
as  the  templeitself  into  Upper  and  LowerEgypt.f 
As  to  the  fetes,  this  time  they  consist  of  proces- 
sions in  which  priests  from  all  parts  of  Egypt 
take  part.}  A calendar  sets  forth  all  the  details,  § 
while  it  gives  recipes  for  the  preparation  of  the 
oils,  the  perfumes  and  the  essences  which  should 
he  used.  Short  notices  furnish  also  the  calendar 
of  these  same  fetes  for  the  Osiris  of  the  other 
towns. 

Considered  with  reference  to  the  dogma  which 
it  represents,  the  temple  of  Denderali  bears  the 

with  the  myth  to  which  this  edifice  is  dedicated.  The 
heavens  are  there  vaguely  portrayed  as  they  were  con- 
ceived by  the  Egyptians,  together  with  the  divine  forms 
that  are  supposed  to  dwell  there.  Astronomy,  as  a 
science,  is  not  in  any  way  treated  of,  and  we  find  neither 
an  original  scheme  nor  a projection  of  the  heavens 
calculated  upon  any  precise  standing-point. 

* Third  room  to  the  S.,  and  third  room  to  the  N. 

f Second  room  to  the  S.,  and  second  room  to  the  N. 

1 Sub-basement  at  the  entrance  of  the  first  chamber  to 
the  S. 

§ See  the  long  texts  engraved  on  the  side  walls  of  the 
southern  chamber. 


140  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

stamp  of  a philosophical  spirit  which  cannot  fail 
to  awaken  the  highest  interest.  The  principal 
divinity  of  the  temple  is  Hathor,  the  Aphrodite 
or  Venus  of  classical  tradition.  In  her  principal 
character  Hathor  is  the  pupil  of  the  Sun’s  eye, 
and  thus  the  Egyptians  made  Hathor  the  god- 
dess of  beauty,  the  seat  of  which  they  placed 
chiefly  in  the  eyes.  Then  come  her  other  titles 
— the  goddess  of  the  lovely  face,  the  beautiful 
goddess,  the  goddess  of  love.  At  the  same  time 
Hathor  is  represented  as  the  personification  of 
the  general  harmony  of  the  world,  which  exists 
and  endures  only  through  the  harmonious  co- 
operation of  all  its  parts.  Thus  she  is  the  divine 
mother  who  causes  all  vegetation  to  germinate, 
who  makes  the  corn  to  grow,  who  gives  life  to 
mortals,  who  carries  fecundity  and  abundance 
into  all  parts  of  the  world,  love  being  productive 
only  in  such  measure  as  it  is  harmonious. 
Again,  one  of  the  characters  under  which  the  in- 
scriptions of  the  temple  most  frequently  represent 
Hathor  is  that  which  connects  her  with  every 
idea  of  youthfulness,  of  expansion,  and  of  re- 
surrection; this  is  exemplified  even  in  the  subjects 
chosen  for  the  decoration  of  the  frieze,  and  of 
the  sub-basement,  where  flowers  in  blossom, 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  DENDERAH — HATHOR.  141 


stems  of  plants  crossing  each  other  and  inter- 
twining, scarabsei  alternating  with  the  phoenix, 
shadow  forth  at  every  step  the  eternal  beauty  of 
nature.  It  is  even  as  a symbol  of  these  ideas 
of  constant  renovation  that  Hathor  is  so  fre- 
quently designated  the  goddess  Sothis  (Sirius), 
Hathor  thus  becomes  the  star  which  determines 
and  governs  the  periodical  return  of  the  year," 
which  announces  the  rising  of  the  river ; she 
is  the  star  wdiose  appearance  at  the  eastern 
horizon  at  the  same  moment  as  the  rising  sun 
foretells  the  renewal  of  nature.  Hathor  then, 
like  the  Aphrodite  of  the  Greeks,  is  something 
more  than  the  goddess  of  beauty  ; the  Hathor  of 
the  Egyptians  is  the  type  of  that  universal  har- 
mony which  is  necessary  to  the  well-being  and 
to  the  life  of  the  world ; what  they  desired  to 
personify  in  her  was  the  ideal  of  all  that  is 
beautiful. 

Perhaps  if  the  temple  of  Denderah  were  of 
Pharaonic  origin,  and  consequently  free  from  all 
Grecian  influence,  the  inscriptions  would  carry 
us  no  farther.  But  from  the  arrangements  of 

* Tlie  Egyptian  year  commenced  on  the  21st  July,  the 
day  when  Sothis  and  the  Sun  appear  simultaneously  in  the 
morning  horizon. 


142 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


certain  pictures,  invariably  placed  opposite  each 
entrance  door,  and  where  the  king  himself  is  re- 
presented as  offering  to  the  Divinity  a statuette 
of  truth,*  Hathor  is  evidently  intended  to  per- 
sonify not  only  the  goddess  of  all  that  is  beauti- 
ful, but  also  the  goddess  of  all  that  is  true. 
According  to  custom,  inscriptions  accompany 
these  pictures.  In  front  of  the  king  are  the 
words  he  is  supposed  to  pronounce  ; in  front  of 
the  goddess  is  the  answer  which  she  is  supposed 
to  make  to  the  king's  speech.  In  all  the  cham- 
bers, with  the  exception  of  the  sanctuary,  the 
speech  is  meaningless  enough  on  either  side : 
“ I offer  to  thee  Truth,”  says  the  king  ; “ I raise 
her  towards  thee,  0 Hathor,  sovereign  lady  of 
the  Heavens.”  The  goddess  replies,  “ May  Truth 
be  with  thee,  mayest  thou  live  by  her,  and  by 
her  means  triumph  over  thine  enemies  ( i.e . 
may  falsehood  ever  be  vanquished  by  truth)  ! ” 
But  in  the  sanctuary  the  triviality  of  these  texts 
disappears,  and  in  entering  the  chamber  the  king 
exclaims,  ‘‘I  offer  to  thee  Truth,  0 goddess  of 

* Truth  is  represented  by  a little  statue  of  a female  seated 
in  a basket,  her  head  crowned  with  a waving  feather. 
The  king  holds  the  basket  in  his  outstretched  hand,  and 
presents  it  to  the  goddess  who  stands  before  him. 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  DENDERAH HATHOR.  143 


Denderah,  for  Truth  is  thine  own  work,  for  thou 
art  Truth  itself.”  The  philosophical  character  of 
Hathor  is  thus  more  and  more  forcibly  illustrated. 

A third  attribute  of  Hathor,  no  less  charac- 
teristic than  the  two  former,  is  clearly  manifested 
by  the  care  that  has  been  taken  to  assign  to-  her 
an  especial  place  in  the  temple  of  the  terraces. 
Here  she  is  no  longer  the  same  Hathor  that  we 
have  known  below  ; she  is  transformed  into  Isis, 
she  becomes  the  goddess  who  attaches  herself  to 
Osiris,  who  accompanies  him  from  chamber  to 
chamber,  and  who  is  present  at  his  resurrection. 
Now  Osiris,  according  to  the  tradition  handed 
down  to  us  by  Plutarch,  is  the  principle  of  good. 
“Osiris,”  says  Plutarch,  “takes  pleasure  in 
doing  good,  and  his  name,  amongst  many  other 
meanings,  is  said  to  express  activity  and  bene- 
ficence.” Again,  Plutarch  shows  us  Isis  and 
Osiris,  sometimes  governing  the  kingdom  of 
good,  sometimes  presiding  over  intellect,  the 
principle  of  all  good.  “Isis,”  says  Plutarch, 
“ possesses  an  innate  love  of  good  principles.” 
Moreover,  without  going  so  far  as  the  terraces 
for  an  illustration,  does  not  the  interior  of  the 
temple  impress  us  with  the  same  idea,  when  we 
notice  that  among  the  nine  emblems  of  the 


144  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

temple  the  foremost  rank  has  been  ascribed  to 
the  sistrum?  “The  sistrum,”  says  Plutarch, 
“ symbolises  that  men  should  always  he  active 
and  busy ; that  they  must  be  constantly  stimu- 
lated and  roused  out  of  the  state  of  languor  and 
enervation  into  which  they  are  too  prone  to  fall. 
It  is  said  that  the  sound  of  this  instrument  puts 
Typhon  to  flight.”  Death  vanquished  to  the 
benefit  of  life ; evil  suppressed  to  the  benefit  of 
good  ; falsehood  dissipated  by  truth : this  then  is 
the  symbol  of  which  the  sistrum  is  the  genuine 
type,  and  by  this  one  sees  that  to  the  same  ideas 
of  universal  harmony,  that  is  to  say,  of  the  beau- 
tiful and  the  true,  which  we  found  so  ingeniously 
applied  in  the  interior  of  the  temple,  is  here  added 
the  idea  of  good. 

The  temple  of  Denderah  therefore  presents  a 
certain  arrangement  which  no  doubt  would  never 
be  displayed  by  a temple  of  Pharaonic  origin, 
and  this  it  is  which  betrays  the  influence  of  the 
times  in  which  it  was  erected.  Evidently  the 
Platonic  schools  of  thought  then  flourishing  at 
Alexandria  extended  their  influence  as  far  as 
Denderah,  and  the  entire  decoration  of  the 
temple  is  composed  with  a view  to  summing  up 
synthetically,  under  the  imagery  of  local  divinities 


THEBES. 


145 


and  their  attributes,  the  three  fundamental  parts 
of  that  philosophy,  the  Beautiful,  the  True,  and 
the  Good. 


IV.— THEBES. 

Miles 

From  Iveneh  to  Naggadeh  ...  ... 

„ Naggadeh  to  Luxor  ...  ...  16 


From  Iveneh  to  Luxor  ...  ...  ...  381 

From  Boolak  to  Luxor,  464  miles. 

Thebes  spreads  itself  on  both  banks  of  the 
Nile,  just  as  London  and  Paris  extend  over  both 
hanks  of  the  Thames  and  Seine. 

On  the  right  hank  are  the  temples  of  Karnak 
and  of  Luxor.  On  the  left  bank,  going  from  N. 
to  S.,  are  the  temple  of  Goornah,  the  temple 
of  Deir-el-Bahari,  the  Rameseum,  the  Colossi,  the 
temple  of  Deir-el-Meclineh,  and  the  temple  of 
Medinet-Abou.  Besides  these  there  were  other 
temples  which  adorned  the  left  side  of  Thebes  ; 
hut  they  are  utterly  demolished,  and  some  among 
them  have  hardly  left  any  traces  by  which  their 
site  may  be  ascertained.  On  the  left  bank  are 
also  to  be  found  the  various  cemeteries  of  Thebes. 
Behind  the  temple  of  Goornah  is  that  which  is 
called  Drah-Abou'l-ncggah.  In  front  of  Deir-el- 
-Bahari  is  a second  necropolis  called  El-Assassif, 
11 


14G  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


and  on  the  slope  of  the  hills  situated  behind  the 
Bameseum  is  another  called  Scheikh  Abd-el- 
-Goornah,  and  Goornah-Mourdi.  We  may  fur- 
ther mention  the  Valley  of  Queens  and  the  two 
Valleys  of  Kings  ( Bab-el-Molouk ),  situated  in  the 
desert  at  some  little  distance  to  the  west. 

Tliinis  (Abydos)  and  Memphis  are  the  two 
most  ancient  capitals  of  Egypt,  being  cotem- 
poraneous  with  the  foundation  of  the  Egyptian 
monarchy.  Thebes  makes  her  first  appearance 
in  history  with  the  kings  of  the  XIth  dynasty. 
This  is  one  of  the  most  curious  periods  that  the 
antiquarian  can  study.  If  we  may  believe  the 
testimony  of  the  monuments,  Egypt  was  just 
recovering,  either  from  an  invasion  or  from  long 
ages  of  internal  troubles  which  had  lasted 
since  the  end  of  the  Vlth  dynasty.  All  at  once, 
the  broken  links  in  the  chain  of  tradition  are 
restored,  and  Thebes  appears  wTith  a civilisation 
of  her  own,  as  shown  by  the  tombs  of  that 
remote  period — a civilisation  which  differs  widely 
from  that  which  may  be  studied  at  Sakkarah, 
at  Meydoum,  at  Zawyet-el-Maitin,  at  Kasr-es- 
-Sayad,  on  the  latest  monuments  of  the  VIth 
dynasty.  The  manner  in  which  the  mummies 
are  arranged,  the  style  of  the  hieroglyphs,  the 


THEBES. 


147 


formulas  employed,  all  seems  changed.  The 
inhabitants  of  Thebes  interred  at  Drali-abou'l- 
-neggah,  the  necropolis  of  that  early  period,  were 
frequently  negroes.  The  coffins  are  formed  of 
the  hollowed  trunk  of  a peculiar  kind  of  tree 
which  is  now  no  longer  met  with  except  in  the 
Soudan.  All  this  seems  to  indicate  that  the 
renovation  of  Egyptian  society  and  the  founding 
of  Thebes  constitute  a political  fact  which  points 
to  an  invasion  from  the  south. 

The  history  of  Thebes  may  easily  he  traced 
on  the  monuments,  temples  and  tombs  which 
to  this  day  overspread  the  site  of  that  far-famed 
city.  Nothing  of  greater  antiquity  is  to  he 
found  at  Thebes  than  the  chambers  cut  in  the 
rock  and  the  funereal  wells  which  served  for 
the  interment  of  the  mummies  of  the  XIth 
dynasty,  and  this  part  of  the  necropolis  is 
already  known  to  the  reader  under  the  name 
of  Drah-abou’l-neggah.  The  XIIth  dynasty  is 
also  represented  here,  though  more  important 
monumental  traces  of  it  are  found  at  Karnak. 
Up  to  the  invasion  of  the  Shepherds  (XVth 
dynasty),  Thebes  was  able  to  hold  her  own,  but 
at  this  point  occurs  a complete  blank,  and 
whether  or  not  the  savage  invaders  of  Northern 
11  * 


148  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

Egypt  ever  came  to  Tliebes,  several  centuries 
elapse  during  which  the  national  spirit  is  ex- 
tinguished. The  legitimate  kings  who  had 
probably  taken  refuge  in  regions  still  more 
remote  than  Thebes,  and  who  could  have  re- 
tained but  a feeble  authority,  were  otherwise 
employed  than'  in  building  temples  or  erecting 
palaces.  Presently  the  XVIIIth  dynasty  becomes 
a second  renaissance  of  Egyptian  civilisation, 
and  ushers  in  the  era  of  the  Amenophis’  and 
the  Thothmes’.  Until  this  time,  nothing  seems 
to  indicate  that  Thebes  extended  beyond  the 
sanctuary  of  Karnak,  and  the  tombs  of  the 
XIth  dynasty  do  not  convey  the  idea  either  of 
a large  city  or  of  a very  advanced  state  of 
civilisation.  But  with  the  XVIIIth  dynasty 
suddenly  rises  in  its  full  extent  and  glory  that 
city  which  will  soon  be  unrivalled  in  Egypt. 
Amenophis  I.  constructed  at  Karnak  a portion 
of  the  temple  which  is  now  destroyed,  but  the 
importance  of  which  is  borne  witness  to  by  the 
colossal  proportions  of  that  king’s  statue  which 
adorns  the  south-west  frontal  of  the  third  pylon 
to  the  south.  Thothmes  I.  commenced,  in  front  of 
the  sanctuary  of  Karnak,  that  truly  monumental 
series  of  halls,  of  pylons  and  of  obelisks,  which 


THEBES. 


149 


gives  so  imposing  an  appearance  to  tliat  side 
of  the  edifice.  Under  the  regency  of  the  sister 
of  the  two  succeeding  Thothmes’,  the  third  pylon 
to  the  south  and  the  lateral  chambers  of  the 
sanctuary  were  commenced  at  Karnak.  The 
singular  temple  of  Deir-el-Bahari  was  founded 
to  commemorate  a successful  expedition  into 
the  Fount  country  (Arabia  Felix).  But  it  was 
principally  under  Thothmes  III.  and  Amenophis 
III.  that  the  prosperity  of  Thebes  increased. 
Thothmes  III.  enlarged  Karnak  and  sketched 
out  its  general  plan ; and  he  also  erected  on 
the  left  bank  a temple  which  no  longer  exists. 
He  laid  the  foundations  of  the  little  temple  of 
Medinet-Abou,  and  by  his  order  several  other 
temples  were  erected  on  those  sacred  sites  to 
which  the  modern  village  of  Karnak  has  given 
its  name.  Nor  did  Amenophis  III.  allow  him- 
self to  be  eclipsed  by  the  glory  of  his  ancestors. 
The  whole  of  the  southern  portion  of  the  temple 
of  Luxor  was  built  by  him,  and  it  is  to  him  we 
owe  the  temple  of  Mout,  the  northern  temple 
of  Ammon  and  the  Alley  of  Sphinxes  which  leads 
up  to  the  temple  of  Klions  at  Karnak.  The 
imposing  edifice  which  stood  behind  the  two 
celebrated  colossi  of  the  left  hank,  was  also 


150  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

built  by  Amenopliis  III.  There  are  no  records 
of  the  schism  of  Amenopliis  IY.  at  Thebes, 
beyond  the  traces  of  that  puerile  fanaticism 
which  everywhere  effaced  the  name  of  Ammon  ; 
hut  under  Horus,  who  re-established  the  ancient 
religion  upon  its  former  footing,  the  luxurious 
capital  received  fresh  embellishments.  At  Kar- 
nak,  the  two  southern  pylons  and  the  avenue 
of  Sphinxes,  which  connects  the  first  pylon  with 
the  temple  of  Mout,  were  constructed.  Nor  was  a 
similar  spirit  wanting  under  the  XIXth  dynasty. 
Rameses  I.  inaugurated  the  series  of  royal  tombs 
in  the  principal  valley  of  Bab-el-Molouk.  He 
erected  at  Karnak  the  pylon  which  precedes  the 
hypostyl  hall,  and  it  is  most  probably  to  him 
that  we  owe  the  conception  of  the  really  gigantic 
plan  of  this  hall.  Under  Sethi  I.  the  art  of  the 
sculptor  and  of  the  engraver  maintained  on  the 
walls  of  the  monuments  of  Thebes  that  per- 
fection which  we  have  already  remarked  at 
Ahydos.  It  was  also  Sethi  I.  who  commenced 
the  construction  of  the  hall  of  columns  at 
Karnak;  he  erected  seventy  - eight  out  of  the 
one  hundred  and  thirty- four  columns  which 
make  this  hall  the  master-piece  of  Egyptian 
architecture.  It  was  also  Sethi  I.  who  raised 


THEBES. 


151 


the  temple  of  Goornah  to  the  memory  of  his 
father,  Eameses  I.  At  Bab-el-Molouk  he  ex- 
cavated in  the  rock  itself  that  celebrated  tomb 
which  is  at  once  the  delight  of  the  Egyptologist 
on  account  of  the  abundance  of  the  inscriptions 
it  contains,  and  his  despair  because  of  the  muti- 
lations to  which  it  is  daily  subjected  at  the 
hands  of  travellers.  Raineses  II.  was  too  much 
occupied  in  the  provinces  of  Egypt,  where  his 
name  is  met  with  at  almost  every  step,  to  have 
left  at  Thebes  any  trace  worthy  of  the  renown 
of  him  who  was  the  Sesostris  of  the  Greeks. 
He,  however,  completed  the  liypostyl  hall  of 
Earnak  and  built  the  surrounding  wall  of  the 
temple ; he  also  constructed  a portion  of  Luxor. 
The  decoration  of  his  tomb,  grand  as  the  general 
plan  may  be,  is  mean  and  poorly  conceived;  but 
this  inferiority  is  compensated  by  the  Rame- 
seurn  which  does  full  justice  to  the  reputation 
of  the  glorious  son  of  Sethi  I.  The  successors 
of  Rameses  II.  added  nothing  of  any  importance 
to  the  existing  monuments  of  Thebes,  and  it  was 
not  until  Rameses  III.  appeared  that  the  temple 
of  Elions  and  the  temple  of  the  principal  court 
of  Earnak  were  founded.  Then  it  was  that 
Medinet-Abou  was  built,  and  then  also  was  ex- 


152  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

cavated  at  Bab-el-Molouk  that  celebrated  tomb 
which  is  now  known  by  the  name  of  Bruce’s,  or 
the  Harpist’s  tomb. 

Here  ends  the  period  of  Thebes’  greatest  mag- 
nificence and  splendour.  True,  under  the  XXIInd 
dynasty,  the  Bubastites  will  construct  the  large 
court  which  precedes  the  temple  of  Karnak,  and 
in  due  time  Tahraka  will  engrave  his  cartouches 
on  the  same  temple,  as  also  at  Medinet-Abou. 
And  later  on,  the  Sa'ites  of  the  XXVIth  dynasty 
will  raise  here  and  there  some  sanctuaries  now 
almost  in  ruins  ; and  lastly  the  Ptolemies  will 
mark  their  passage  by  the  erection  of  the  temple 
of  Deir-el-Medineh  and  the  two  handsome  por- 
tals which  so  magnificently  usher  in  Karnak. 
But  for  all  that,  the  grandeur  of  Thebes  is 
already  a thing  of  the  past.  At  the  death  of 
Assarhaddon,  Sardanapalus  seizes  on  the  city 
which  he  sacks,  and  which  is  subsequently 
restored  by  Tahraka,  only  to  be  retaken  by  the 
Ninevite  conqueror.  No  real  proof  exists  of  the 
devastation  which  a somewhat  exaggerated  tra- 
dition assigns  to  Cambyses  ; it  is  possible, 
however,  that  this  conqueror  violated  some 
of  the  tombs  of  Bab-el-Molouk,  and  that  the 
Theban  necropolis  in  particular  suffered  from  his 


THEBES. 


153 


ravages.  The  siege  and  sack  of  Thebes  by  Ptolemy 
Lathyrus  was  the  last  and  most  supreme  act  of 
violence  inflicted  on  the  city  of  the  Thothmes’ 
and  the  Amenophis’.  After  that  time  Thebes 
had  no  place  in  history.  Its  downfall,  which 
commenced  with  the  high  priests  of  the  XXth 
dynasty,  was  complete  before  the  commence- 
ment of  the  Christian  era;  for  Strabo  found 
nothing  remaining  of  Thebes  but  a collection  of 
villages  disseminated  over  its  ruins. 

In  its  character  of  a sacerdotal  city  Tliehes 

was  called  in  Egyptian  (1  Pir  A men  (the 

I 1 /WW\A 

^ fia 

abode  of  Ammon),  (1  No  Amen  (the  city 

I AAAAAA 

of  Ammon,  J/da-77-d/U?) ; but  in  its  character  of 
the  capital  of  an  administrative  province  it  was 

called  ^ a word  which  should  be  transcribed 

T'arn  according  to  Mr.  Birch,  Uas  according  to 
M.  Brugsch,  and  Obe  according  to  M.  Cliabas. 
One  of  its  quarters,  that  which  spreads  itself 
over  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  received  the 
name  of  Apetu,  a name  rendered  most  familiar 
to  us  by  the  legends  which  cover  the  monuments 
of  Thebes. 

The  name  given  to  Thebes  in  the  Bible  is 


154  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


No- Amen,  or  simply  No.  The  second  of  these 
names  originates  in  the  popular  name  of  ® 

No,  that  is  to  say  the  city  par  excellence,  which 
we  find  employed  in  the  hieroglyphs,  to  designate 
Thebes,  especially  in  the  life-time  of  those 
sacred  writers  who  make  use  of  the  name.  A 
far  more  difficult  matter  it  is  to  determine  to 
what  Egyptian  prototype  the  name  of  0>]/3r], 
Qr/fiai  refers,  so  well  known  among  the  Greeks. 
It  wTas  certainly  through  Homer  that  this  name 
became  current  in  the  Hellenic  world,  and  took 
root  there.  But  from  what  source  did  Homer 
borrow  it  in  the  first  instance  ? M.  Chabas  derives 
it  from  the  Ohe  already  mentioned,  placing  the 
feminine  article  T before  it.  But  could  the 
name  of  a province  be  thus  applied  to  a town  ? 
In  Tahraka’s  time,  Thebes  was  called  by  its 
popular  name  of  No,  but  previously,  and  after 
the  time  of  Amenophis  III.,  the  monuments 

designate  it  as  Y Tcma,  another  way  of 

expressing  the  city  par  excellence.  Was  it  then 
in  Tema  that  Homer  found  that  name  which  to 
his  Grecian  ears  would  sound  very  much  like 
the  &y/3cu  of  Bceotia?  One  would  fain  believe  it. 
The  permutation  of  the  M and  of  the  B is  one 


THEBES. 


155 


of  the  most  frequently  occurring  philological 
facts.  Was  not  the  personage,  who  in  the 
Hebrew  text  of  the  Bible  is  called  Nemrod, 
designated  in  the  Septuagint  NefipooS  ? Have  we 
not  both  xpov(3is  and  yvowju^^  Is  not  Berm  the 
native  name  of  Meroe  ? Examples  of  this  kind 
might  be  multiplied  ad  infinitum.  The  Egyptian 
T evict  might  thus  have  become  Teba,  and  Homer, 
perhaps  almost  unconsciously,  may  have  given 
to  the  capital  of  Egypt  the  name  which  in  its 
signification  of  the  city  corresponds  exactly  with 
that  of  Medyneh,  by  which  the  Arabs  of  our 
time  designate  Cairo. 

The  position  which  the  principal  divinity  of 
Thebes  occupies  in  the  Egyptian  pantheism  is 
well  defined.  Ammon  is  the  visible,  and  so  to 
speak,  the  tangible  form  of  the  creative  force  in 
nature.  In  him  is  symbolised  that  hidden  spring 
which  presses  all  things  forward  towards  light 
and  life.  He  is  therefore  perfectly  typified  by 
the  sun.  Mout  and  Khons  are  associated  with 
him  in  his  character  as  an  eternal  god.  Mout  is 
the  mother ; she  is  the  recipient  in  which  is 
accomplished  the  mystery  of  creation.  Ivhons 
is  Ammon  himself  as  the  offspring  of  the  other 
two  divine  personages.  Being  at  once  his  own 


156  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

father  and  his  own  son,  this  god  of  Thebes  has 
neither  beginning  nor  end,  that  is  to  say  he  is  un- 
create and  eternal. 

On  arriving  at  Thebes,  the  right  bank  of  the 
river  and  the  left  bank  are  successively  visited, 
and  Luxor  being  situated  at  the  exact  place 
where  boats  generally  stop,  naturally  receives 
the  traveller’s  first  visit. 

luxor — Overwhelmed  hv  the  mass  of  modern 
erections  which  have  invaded  it  like  a rising 
tide,  the  temple  of  Luxor  offers  hut  a slight 
interest  to  the  visitor.  Its  plan  is  very  irregu- 
lar, owing  it  is  supposed  to  the  fact  that  it  was 
originally  built  at  the  edge  of  the  river,  and 
rising  abruptly  from  a quay,  was  made  to  follow 
its  windings. 

The  temple  of  Luxor  was  founded  by  Ameno- 
phis  III.,  who  constructed  the  whole  of  the 
southern  part,  including  the  heavy  colonnade 
which  overlooks  the  river.  To  Eameses  II.  we 
are  indebted  for  the  remaining  portion,  namely, 
the  two  obelisks,  the  pylon,  the  colossi  and  the 
large  court  which  the  mosque  by  which  it  has 
been  invaded  so  unfortunately  conceals.  It  is 
true,  the  cartouches  of  Alexander  II.  are  found 
on  the  walls  of  the  sanctuary,  and  those  of 


LUXOR — SHAM  ANTIQUITIES. 


157 


Amentouankh  occur  also  in  other  parts  of  the 
building,  together  -with  those  of  his  brother 
Horus,  of  Sabacon  the  Ethiopian,  and  of  Psam- 
meticlius  I.  But  none  of  these  kings  added  in 
any  way  to  the  construction  of  Luxor;  they 
simply  made  use  of  such  portions  of  the  wall  as 
had  been  left  blank  by  their  predecessors,  by 
engraving  their  name  there ; or  they  restored 
some  portion  of  the  temple  which  was  falling 
into  decay. 

Let  us  add  here  that  Luxor,  as  is  very  well 
known,  is  the  centre  of  a more  or  less  legitimate 
traffic  in  antiquities.  Excavations  being  abso- 
lutely forbidden  throughout  Egypt,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  Luxor  possesses  certain  manufactures 
where  statuettes,  stelae  and  scarabcei  are  imitated 
with  a dexterity  which  often  deceives  even  the 
most  experienced  antiquarian. 

karnak. — The  afternoon  may  be  spent  at 
Karnak.  Karnak  is  the  most  wonderful  pile  of 
ruins  which  can  be  imagined,  and  it  is  even 
chiefly  on  this  account  that  it  should  be  visited. 
For  it  is  simply  impossible  to  attempt  to  unravel 
at  Karnak,  as  we  have  done  at  Denderah,  a plan, 
a unity,  or  a fixed  design.  The  unity,  if  it  ever 
existed,  is  now  entirely  lost,  not  only  on  account 


158  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

of  the  devastation  which  the  temple  has  under- 
gone, hut  because  of  the  many  successive  epochs 
which  have  overlaid  each  other  during  its  ex- 
istence. The  professed  antiquarian  therefore 
will  alone  he  able  to  gather  something  from 
Karnak,  hut  the  ordinary  traveller  must  he  con- 
tent to  gaze  at  this  temple  as  a monument  of 
unparalleled  grandeur,  whose  vast  proportions 
and  bewildering  mass  of  ruins  quite  overpower 
the  imagination.  In  fact,  one  has  never  seen 
enough  of  Karnak,  and  the  more  often  one  visits 
it  the  more  stupendous  it  appears. 

We  cannot  leave  a building  of  this  importance 
without  lingering  over  some  of  its  details.  We 
will  therefore  briefly  point  out  the  route  the 
traveller  should  take  from  Luxor,  and  the  prin- 
cipal objects  which  he  will  pass  on  the  way, 
more  particularly  deserving  of  his  attention. 

The  best  route  to  follow  lies  along  the  path 
that  leads  from  Luxor  to  the  modern  village  of 
Karnak,  passing  along  the  avenue  of  ram-headed 
sphinxes  which  date  from  the  reign  of  Amenophis 
III.,  until  he  reaches  the  foot  of  the  handsome 
portal  or  gateway  which  divides  this  avenue 
from  the  temple  of  Khons.  After  visiting  this 
temple  the  traveller  should  proceed  towards  the 


KARNAK. 


159 


north  by  the  side  of  some  modern  hovels  built 
over  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  city.  He  will  thus 
penetrate  into  the  great  temple  by  its  principal 
entrance,  which  is  the  western  portal.  The  study 
of  the  grand  temple  being  the  chief  object  of  the 
excursion,  the  traveller  should  leave  no  spot  of 
this  celebrated  monument  unvisited,  and  (putting 
the  temple  by  an  opening  in  the  northern  side 
of  the  surrounding  wall,  should  devote  a few 
minutes  to  the  ruins  of  the  temple  of  Ammon, 
and  the  monumental  portal  which  forms  the 
extreme  boundary  of  the  temple  on  this  side  ; 
then  returning  towards  the  south,  and  bearing 
slightly  to  the  left,  still  keeping  outside  the 
temple,  he  will  follow  along  the  ruins  of  the 
encircling  wall  to  the  east,  until  he  reaches  the 
small  lake ; he  will  then  visit  the  third  pylon, 
so  remarkable  for  its  colossal  statues,  and  cross- 
ing the  avenue  of  human-headed  sphinxes  which 
belong  to  the  reign  of  Horns,  he  will  finish  his 
exploration  by  visiting  the  temple  of  Mout.* 

The  points  which  the  traveller  will  find  most 

* Under  the  title  of  A Topographical  Survey  of  Karnalc 
I have  published  a detailed  map  of  this  temple  with  an 
explanatory  text,  minutely  describing  a systematic  visit  to 
the  temple,  of  which  I am  only  able  here  to  give  a brief 
outline. 


160  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

interesting  and  worthy  of  study  in  the  route  just 
traced  out  are  as  follows  : — 

I.  Temple  of  Khons. — This  temple  was  con- 
structed by  Baineses  II.,  by  whom  also  it  was 
founded,  and  we  have  every  reason  to  believe 
that  before  his  death  the  entire  work  was 
finished,  including  the  pylon  itself.  The  de- 
coration of  the  temple  of  Khons  furnishes  us 
with  the  most  useful  information  concerning  the 
great  historical  fact  which  pervades  the  annals 
of  the  XXth  dynasty  in  its  latter  period — we  al- 
lude to  the  decline  of  the  royal  power  under  the 
Eameses’,  and  the  ever-increasing  usurpation  of 
authority  by  the  priests  of  Ammon.  At  the  end 
of  the  temple,  that  is  to  say,  near  the  hall  of 
eight  columns,  the  decorations  present  no  special 
interest.  Eameses  III.,  Eameses  IV.,  Eameses 
XIII.  are  there  represented  in  adoration  before 
the  local  divinity.  But  a closer  study  of  this 
hall  gives  rise  to  a suspicion  that  we  have  before 
us  a series  of  facts  as  yet  without  precedent  in 
Egyptian  history.  For  the  first  time,  a high- 
priest,  Her-Hor,  actually  occupies  the  place  on 
the  walls  of  the  temple  invariably  reserved  for 
the  sovereign.  True,  in  the  hall  of  the  eight 
columns,  the  high  priest  has  not  yet  appropriated 


KARNAK THE  GREAT  TEMPLE. 


161 


to  himself  any  of  the  royal  titles,  and  it  is 
together  in  his  own  name  and  in  that  of  the 
reigning  king  that  he  addresses  his  speech  to 
the  god.  But  in  the  first  hall,  the  one  imme- 
diately following  the  pylon,  the  usurpation  be- 
comes flagrant.  Here  all  disguise  is  thrown 
aside,  and  Her-Hor  appears  with  the  uraeus  or 
sacred  asp  on  his  brow,  and  his  name  enclosed 
within  the  double  cartouche.  The  high  priest 
Pinet’liem,  who  was  soon  to  become  king,  is 
depicted  on  the  pylon. 

II.  The  Great  Temple.- — In  its  entire  length,  ^ 
and  including  the  dependencies  to  the  east  *and 
to  the  west,  the  temple  of  Karnak  cannot 
measure  less  than  608  metres,  or  1995  English 
feet.  It  measures  366  metres  by  106,  or  up- 
wards of  1200  feet  by  348  in  that  portion  wrhich 
is  enclosed  by  the  surrounding  wTall  of  stone, 
and  this  constitutes  the  true  dimensions  of  the 
edifice. 

The  great  temple  should  be  entered  by  the 
western  portal  which  we  know  already  as  the 
principal  pylon.  The  ruins  of  the  temple  will 
then  develop  themselves  before  the  visitor  in 
the  order  which  we  shall  endeavour  to  indicate, 
taking  as  our  guide  the  subjoined  plan. 

12 


162  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

The  Pylon  and  the  large  Court. — These  are 
marked  A and  B in  our  plan.  Until  the  XXIInd 
dynasty  the  grand  temple  of  Karnak  had  no 
other  frontage  than  the  pylon  C,  which  dates 
from  the  time  of  Bameses  I.,  and  the  remains 
of  which  may  be  seen  at  the  bottom  of  the  court. 
In  front  of  this  stood,  apparently  unconnected 
with  the  main  building  and  as  if  dropped  down 
there  by  chance,  the  temple  D,  to  the  left  on 
entering  the  court,  which  dates  from  the  reign  of 
Sethi  II.  (XIXth  d}-nasty)  and  the  temple  E to 
the  right,  which  was  founded  by  Bameses  III. 
(XXth  dynasty).  To  the  Bubastites  (XXIInd 
dynasty)  is  due  the  honour  of  having  constructed 
the  two  fine  enclosing  walls  to  the  north  and 
to  the  south.  Tahraka  erected  the  double 
colonnade  in  the  centre  of  the  court,  and  the 
Ptolemies  commenced  the  construction  of  that 
immense  pylon  to  the  west,  which  has  remained 
unfinished. 

The  Hypostyl  Hall  (F). — This  is  the  most 
spacious  hall  that  the  Egyptians  ever  con- 
structed. It  measures  102  metres  by  51,  or 
334  English  feet  by  167.  The  most  ancient 
cartouches  found  here  are  those  of  Sethi  I. 
(XIXth  dynasty).  Certain  indications  would  lead 


KARNAK — THE  HYPOSTYL  HALL. 


163 


one  to  believe  that  Setlii  was  only  the  constructor 
of  this  hall,  and  that  to  Eameses  I.  belongs  the 
glory  of  having  conceived  the  plan.  Originally, 
the  hall  was  entirely  covered  in,  and  daylight 
only  entered  by  the  grated  windows,  some  re- 
maining portions  of  which  may  still  be  seen  on 
one  side  of  the  central  nave.  An  obscure  light, 
somewhat  less  dim  than  at  Denderah,  must  have 
been  all  that  was  permitted  to  penetrate  into  the 
hall,  thus  adding  to  the  general  effect  by  soften- 
ing the  vivid  colouring  of  the  paintings  with 
which  the  columns  and  ceilings  are  adorned. 

Two  large  portals  opened  out  from  the  centre 
of  the  side  walls  to  the  south  and  north  of  the 
Hall  of  Columns.  Passing  through  these,  the 
visitor  will  be  enabled  to  study  successively  the 
bas-reliefs  of  the  external  wall  to  the  south,  as 
well  as  those  of  the  external  wall  to  the  north. 

The  Bas-reliefs  of  the  external  southern  wall  of 
the  Hypostyl  Hall  (J). — On  the  western  side  of 
this  wall  near  the  door  opening  out  of  the  large 
court  will  be  found  a picture  worthy  of  the 
visitor’s  attention.  This  picture  was  sculptured 
in  remembrance  of  a victorious  campaign  against 
Palestine  made  by  the  first  king  of  the  XXIInJ 
dynasty  (called  in  the  Bible  Shishak).  On  the 
12  * 


1G4  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

riglit,  Shishak  himself  is  represented  raising  his 
arm  to  strike  a group  of  prisoners  who  are 
kneeling  at  his  feet.  On  the  left,  Ammon  of 
Thebes,  and  the  Thebaid  personified  by  a female 
figure  holding  in  her  hand  the  quiver,  the  bow, 
and  the  battle-axe,  present  themselves  before 
him.  Nearly  150  personages,  whose  heads  only 
are  visible,  and  whose  bodies  are,  as  it  were, 
hidden  behind  a sort  of  castellated  oval,  repre- 
senting a fortress  or  town,  follow  these  two 
divinities.  The  inscriptions  explain  the  scene. 
The  gods  themselves  it  is  who  bring  to  Shishak 
the  towns  which  he  has  taken  in  his  campaign. 
So  many  castellated  cartouches,  so  many  lo- 
calities conquered.  This  picture  possesses  a 
peculiar  interest  of  its  own  which  must  not  be 
passed  over  in  silence.  In  the  29th  cartouche 
Champollion  had  read  Joudah-Melek,  and  he 
concluded  that  the  head  which  surmounted  this 
cartouche  was  the  portrait  of  the  king  of  Judah 
himself,  conquered  by  Shishak.  But  the  re- 
searches of  M.  Brugsch  have  shown  that  Joudah- 
-Melek  is,  like  all  the  other  names,  without 
exception,  the  name  of  a locality  in  Palestine, 
and  that  there  is  nothing  to  justify  the  idea  that 
in  the  personage  who  serves  to  symbolise  this 


KARNAK — THE  HYPOSTYL  HALL. 


165 


locality  we  have  a portrait  of  Jeroboam.  We 
may  add  that  the  sculptor  has  given  a very 
similar  expression  to  all  the  150  heads,  remind- 
ing one  of  the  general  type  of  the  vanquished 
people,  but  a correct  idea  of  the  true  physiog- 
nomy of  these  nations  may  he  gathered  from 
the  study  of  the  heads  of  those  personages, 
evidently  more  carefully  drawn,  over  whom  the 
triumphant  Pharaoh  is  raising  his  battle-axe. 

The  same  wall  is  prolonged  towards  the  east 
and  is  soon  met  by  another  wall  which  cuts  it  at 
right  angles.  Mounting  on  this  latter  wall,  and 
looking  towards  the  north,  the  visitor  will  have 
on  his  right  a long  text  (H)  which  is  nothing 
less  than  a copy  of  the  famous  poem  of  Pen-ta- 
-our,  a literary  work  composed  by  a poet  of  that 
name  in  honour  of  a feat  of  arms  accomplished 
by  Ptameses  II.  in  the  fifth  year  of  his  reign, 
during  his  campaign  against  the  Ivlietas.  To 
the  left  (G)  will  he  found  what  remains  of  the 
bas-reliefs  representing  episodes  of  another' 
campaign,  bearing  no  date,  against  the  same 
people.  At  our  feet  lies  the  stelii  where  is 
engraved  with  all  the  monumental  solemnity 
of  the  time  the  treaty  of  peace  concluded  be- 
tween Ptameses  II.  and  Kheta-sar,  king  of  the 


166  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


Khetas,  in  the  21st  year  of  the  reign  of  the 
Egyptian  monarch. 

The  Bas-reliefs  oj  the  external  wall  to  the  north 
of  the  Hypostyl  Hall  (K).  — These  bas-reliefs 
contain  the  most  precious  records  we  possess 
of  the  reign  of  Sethi  I.  Here  are  represented, 
without  any  strict  regard  for  their  chronological 
or  topographical  order,  Sethi’s  campaigns  in 
Western  Asia  against  the  Remenen  (the  Armen- 
ians), the  Schasou  (the  Arabs  of  the  desert), 
the  Ruten  (the  Assyrians),  the  Khetas  (the 
Hittites  of  the  Bible).  This  precious  series 
of  pictures  is  unfortunately  much  mutilated. 
Some  among  them,  however,  may  still  be  made 
out  which  are  deserving  of  the  visitor’s  atten- 
tion. The  scene  is  laid  in  the  country  of  the 
Piemenen,  Sethi  having  carried  his  victorious 
arms  into  that  region.  The  first  picture  shows 
us  the  Piemenen  cutting  down  the  trees  of  their 
forests,  which  they  are  hound  to  deliver  to  the 
conqueror,  probably  for  the  building  of  his 
houses.  Sethi  is  on  his  chariot,  his  horses 
(the  first  of  which  is  called  the  Strength  oj 
Theha'id)  hears  him  into  the  thickest  of  the 
fray.  The  foes  are  the  Schasou.  Sethi  pur- 
sues them  and  pierces  them  with  his  arrows. 


KARNAK. 


1G7 


Those  who  escape  precipitate  themselves  into 
the  fortress  of  Kanana  where  they  take  refuge. 
Next  comes  another  battle  scene.  The  enemies 
are  the  people  of  the  Kharo  country.  They  fall 
pierced  with  the  darts  of  the  king.  The  Kharo 
country  becomes  henceforth  a province  of  the 
Egyptian  empire,  and  the  fortresses  taken  by 
Sethi  exchange  their  names  for  others  made 
out  of  that  of  the  victorious  Pharaoh.  Another 
campaign,  this  time  against  the  Iiaten  (As- 
syrians) “ wdio  had  not  known  Egypt.”  The 
prisoners  are  led  forward  in  chains  to  be  pre- 
sented to  the  deities  of  Thebes.  The  victorious 
king  returns  to  Egypt ; he  stops  at  Ouat'i-en- 
-Sethi,  and  passes  by  another  fortress  called 
Ta-sam-ef-en-pa  . . . and  a third  called  Pa-ma, 
until  he  at  last  reaches  a walled-in  town  of 
which  the  name  is  partly  lost  ( Pithom-n ...)  pre- 
ceded by  numerous  prisoners  from  all  nations. 
Here,  near  a stream  of  water  swarming  with 
crocodiles,  he  receives  the  principal  function- 
aries of  Egypt  who  have  come  to  welcome  him. 
A grand  symbolic  scene  is  here  enacted ; the 
king  raises  his  battle  - axe  over  a group  of 
prisoners  whom  he  has  seized  by  the  hair  of  their 
heads,  and  whom  he  is  about  to  offer  in  sacrifice 


168  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

to  the  god  of  Thebes.  More  war  scenes  follow ; 
thfe  king  is  seen  doing  battle  with  enemies 
mounted  on  chariots,  &c.,  &c. 

The  Passage  between  the  two  Pylons  (L). — It  is 
bounded  on  each  side  by  a pylon  ; in  the  centre 
rose  two  obelisks,  one  of  which  is  now  over- 
thrown. A huge  block  of  granite  in  its  original 
place  in  front  of  the  obelisk  which  is  still  stand- 
ing leads  one  to  imagine  that  a colossal  statue 
was  formerly  erected  here,  like  the  one  at  Luxor. 

The  first  pylon  (M)  dates  from  the  reign  of 
Amenophis  III.,  and  before  the  grand  hall  was 
constructed  it  served  as  the  facade  of  the  temple 
itself.  The  chronological  order  of  the  pylons 
is  thus  rigorously  observed.  The  first  pylon 
which  presents  itself  when  one  enters  the  temple 
is  of  the  time  of  the  Lagides  (or  Ptolemies),  the 
second  dates  from  Eameses  I.  and  the  third 
from  Amenophis  III.  Unfortunately,  nothing 
now  is  left  but  ruins,  and  all  that  we  can  gather 
from  the  remains  of  some  inscriptions  sculp- 
tured on  the  south-east  fa9ade  of  the  pylon  is 
that  Amenophis  III.  had  reserved  this  side  of 
the  monument  which  he  was  building,  in  order 
to  engrave  there  the  list  of  donations  made  by 
him  to  the  temple  of  Ammon  at  Thebes.  The 


KARNAK. 


169 


king  enumerates  a vast  quantity  of  rare  stones 
and  precious  metals,  wliick  served  to  embellish 
the  sacred  edifice.  Their  number  was  indeed 
considerable ; for  example,  mention  is  made  of 
4820  uten  of  turquoise,  3623  uten  of  a stone 
called  henti.  These  donations  were  made  after 
the  campaign  against  the  Asiatics,  the  booty  of 
which  served  to  enrich  the  temple  of  Karnak. 

The  second  pylon  (N)  is  in  such  a state  of  ruin 
that  its  plan  is  hardly  discernible  ; it  dates  from 
the  time  of  Thothmes  I. ; the  portal  which 
stands  before  it  was  constructed  by  Thothmes 
IV.,  and  was  altered  under  the  XXVth  dynasty 
by  Sabacon. 

Of  the  two  obelisks  attached  to  the  pylon  of 
Thothmes  I.,  one  only  remains  standing,  its 
four  sides  being  decorated  with  three  columns  of 
hieroglyphs.  The  central  column  contains  no- 
thing but  the  names  and  titles  of  the  royal 
founder  of  the  pylon,  while  those  on  each  side 
show  us  some  rather  confused  cartouches,  among 
which  the  names  of  Eameses  VI.  may  he  noticed 
somewhat  indistinctly  engraved  over  those  of 
Eameses  IV.  Upon  the  many  fragments  of  the 
fallen  obelisk  which  strew  the  ground  may  still 
he  read  the  legends  of  Thothmes  III. 


170  THE  MONUMENTS  OP  UPPER  EGYPT. 

The  Hall  of  Caryatides.  (0). — This  might 
equally  well  be  called  the  Hall  of  the  Obelisks,  or 
of  the  Fourteen  Columns.  The  construction  of 
this  part  of  the  temple  belongs  to  Thothmes  I. 
The  two  pylons  by  which  it  was  shut  in  to  the 
east  and  to  the  west  were  standing,  as  well  as 
the  fourteen  columns,  when  the  celebrated  regent, 
the  daughter  of  this  same  Thothmes,  and  sister 
of  the  two  succeeding  princes  of  that  name,  raised 
in  the  centre  of  this  Hall  the  two  most  gigantic 
obelisks  which  exist.  One  of  them  has  fallen 
down,  and  travellers  scarcely  notice  it ; the 
other,  which  is  still  standing,  is  known  as  the 
obelisk  of  Hatasou. 

The  obelisk  of  Heliopolis  is  G6  ft.  G inches  in 
height,  the  obelisk  of  Luxor  in  Paris  is  75  feet, 
that  of  St.  Peter's  in  Eome  82  feet  9 inches, 
and  that  of  St.  Jean  de  Lateran  in  Rome  105  feet 
G inches,  but  the  obelisk  of  Hatasou  is  108  feet 
10  inches,  and  is  therefore  the  highest  obelisk 
known.  The  precision  with  which  it  is  put  on 
its  base  is  remarkable  ; it  is  in  the  very  axis  of 
the  temple,  and  this  precision,  considering  the 
really  enormous  weight  of  the  monolith,  affords 
evidence  of  the  use  of  mechanical  appliances 
most  exact  as  well  as  most  powerful.  The 


KARNAK — THE  OBELISKS. 


171 


legends  ’which  cover  it  from  top  to  bottom  consist 
only  of  dedicatory  formulas  in  the  name  of  Hata- 
sou  (XVIIIth  dynasty,  about  the  year  1660  b.c.), 
the  regent  whose  name  deservedly  ranks  with 
those  of  Thothmes  and  Amenophis.  Eound  the 
lowest  part  of  the  obelisk  runs  an  inscription  in 
horizontal  lines  covering  the  whole  of  its  four 
sides.  This  inscription  makes  us  acquainted 
with  certain  facts  which  should  not  he  passed 
over,  and  which  may  he  interpreted  thus  : — 1°. 
The  summit  of  the  obelisk  was  covered  over  with 
“ pure  gold  taken  from  the  chiefs  of  the  nation.” 
Unless  this  simply  implies  an  apex  overlaid  with 
a casing  of  gilded  copper,  as  the  apex  of  the 
obelisk  at  Heliopolis  must  have  been,  this  in- 
scription possibly  refers  to  the  sphere  (of  gold  ?) 
which  is  represented  on  certain  bas-reliefs  at 
Sakkarali.  2°.  The  obelisk  itself  was  no  doubt 
gilded  from  top  to  bottom ; in  examining  closely, 
one  may  notice  that  the  hieroglyphs  were  care- 
fully polished,  and  moreover  that  the  plain  sur- 
face of  the  monument  was  left  comparatively 
rugged,  from  which  it  may  be  inferred  that  the 
plain  surface,  having  a coating  of  white  stucco 
the  like  of  which  may  he  seen  on  so  many 
Egyptian  monuments,  alone  received  this  costly 


172 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


embellishment  of  gilding,  the  hieroglyphs  them- 
selves retaining  the  original  colour  and  actual 
surface  of  the  granite.  3°.  The  inscription 
further  states,  as  a fact  worthy  of  being  trans- 
mitted to  posterity,  the  incredibly  short  space  of 
time  in  which  both  obelisks,  the  one  we  have 
described  and  the  other  which  matched  it,  were 
actually  completed  and  erected,  viz.,  “in  seven 
months,  from  the  very  beginning,  when  first  ex- 
tracted from  the  quarry  in  the  mountain.”  It  is 
perhaps  superfluous  to  add  that  the  caryatides, 
some  of  which  still  remain,  are  nothing  but  re- 
presentations of  Thothmes  I.  in  the  character  of 
Osiris  as  king  of  all  ages  and  arbiter  of  man’s 
destiny. 

Hall  of  the  Eighteen  Columns  (P). — This  portion 
of  the  temple  has  greatly  suffered  and  does  not 
present  any  particular  interest.  This  Ilall  was 
founded  by  Thothmes  I.,  whose  cartouches  are 
still  to  be  seen  on  the  two  polygonal  columns 
sunk  in  the  masonry  to  the  right  and  to  the  left 
of  the  entrance.  The  work  was  completed  by 
his  son,  the  same  who  rendered  the  name  of 
Thothmes  so  famous. 

The  granite  Chambers  and  their  Dependencies. — 
We  here  enter  a part  of  the  temple  of  which  the 


KARNAK — THE  PYLONS. 


173 


little  liall  E is  evidently  the  nucleus  and  the 
centre.  This  hall  was  constructed  by  Thotlimes 
III.,  and  if  no  other  cartouches  but  those  of 
Philip  Aridceus  are  now  to  he  read  here,  it  is 
owing  to  the  circumstance  that  the  walls  of  the 
chamber  having  been  found  in  an  unsafe  con- 
dition were  reconstructed  by  this  brother  of 
Alexander. 

Access  is  obtained  to  that  part  of  the  temple 
which  contains  the  hall  R through  a pylon  (Q). 
This  pylon  is  the  last  of  the  series  of  monu- 
mental portals  which  lead  from  the  exterior  of 
the  temple  up  to  the  sanctuary.  This  one  is 
smaller  than  its  neighbour  which  in  its  turn  is 
not  so  high  as  the  pylon  which  precedes  it. 
Thus  from  the  entrance  to  the  end  of  the  temple 
the  pylons  decrease  in  height  progressively  and 
symmetrically.  The  first  is  the  truly  gigantic 
pylon  which  forms  the  western  limit  of  the 
temple.  The  last  is  the  somewhat  mean  con- 
struction which  now  stands  before  us. 

The  western  frontage  of  the  pylon  Q is 
covered  with  representations  before  which  it 
is  impossible  not  to  stop.  On  one  side  are 
represented  115  personages  tied  together  by 
their  arms  and  by  their  necks.  The  opposite 


174  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

side  is  covered  in  like  manner  with  115  other 
personages.  They  all  bear,  attached  to  their 
breast,  an  embattled  scutcheon  in  which  some 
hieroglyphs  are  inscribed.  There  can  be  no 
doubt  as  to  the  meaning  of  these  inscriptions. 
The  115  personages  to  the  right  symbolise  an 
equal  number  of  towns  taken  by  Thothmes  III. 
during  his  campaign  in  the  south  of  Egypt ; the 
115  to  the  left  personify  so  many  localities  con- 
quered by  the  same  prince  during  one  of  his 
campaigns  in  the  north. 

The  list  of  the  countries  to  the  south  may  he 
divided  into  three  parts.  The  first  comprises 
Kousch  the  bad,  and  does  not  carry  us  beyond  the 
limits  of  modern  Tigre ; forty-six  names  are  given, 
among  them  Adulis  (n°  2).  The  second  part  em- 
braces the  Pount  country  which  M.  Brugsch  iden- 
tifies as  Arabia  Felix,  or  the  Yemen  ; wTe  have  here 
forty  geographical  names.  The  third  part  takes 
us  into  Libya.  Libya,  according  to  Herodotus, 
was  inhabited  by  two  indigenous  races — to  the 
south  the  Ethiopians  ; to  the  north  the  Libyans. 
It  is  doubtless  to  the  Ethiopian  region  of  Libya 
that  the  third  part  of  the  list  of  Karnak  refers. 

The  list  of  the  northern  countries  will  be 
found  still  more  interesting.  The  horizontal 


KARNAK — THE  ETHNOGRAPHICAL  LISTS.  175 


line  of  hieroglyphs  which  runs  along  the  upper 
part  forms  the  general  title  which  may  be  thus 
translated:  “List  of  the  countries  of  the  Upper 
Euten  which  his  Majesty  (Thothmes  III.)  con- 
fined within  the  town  of  Megiddo  the  wretched, 
and  whose  children  have  been  carried  away  as 
living  captives  by  his  majesty  to  the  fortress  of 
Souhcn  at  Thebes,  at  the  time  of  his  first 
victorious  expedition,  in  accordance  with  the 
order  of  his  father  Ammon  who  guided  him  in 
the  right  way.”  There  can  be  no  misgiving  as 
to  the  exact  period  of  the  events  in  memory  of 
which  this  list  was  drawn  up.  These  events 
date  from  the  reign  of  Thothmes  III.,  and  refer 
to  the  first  out  of  the  thirteen  or  fourteen  cam- 
paigns of  that  prince.  Nor  need  we  hesitate  as 
to  the  name  of  the  country  which  is  here  de- 
signated, it  being  the  same  which  the  legends 
call  High  Euten,  or  Upper  Euten ; and  the 
country  corresponding  to  that  which  the  Egyp- 
tian texts  call  Upper  Euten  can  be  identified  at 
a glance.  We  have  before  us,  most  accurately 
rendered  by  the  hieroglyphic,  names  : Kadesch 
(n°  1),  Megiddo  (2),  Beth-Tapuah  (6),  Juta  (9), 
Damascus  (13),  Beyrout  (19),  Ashtaroth-Karnaim 
(27),  Hatzor  (32),  Kennereth,  (34),  Scliunem 


176 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


(38),  Nain  (45),  Acco  (Acre,  46),  Jaffa  (62),  Loci 
(64),  Ono  (65),  Socho  (67),  Henganim  (70),  Mig- 
dal  (71),Guerar  (80),  Rehobotli  (87),  Beth-Marka- 
both  (94),  Beth-Hanatk  (109),  Ziph  (114).  Bey- 
rout  lies  quite  to  the  north,  Rehoboth  is  as  far  to 
the  south.  To  the  west  we  are  carried  to  the 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean  and  to  the  east  we 
only  just  cross  the  Jordan.  No  doubt  whatever 
can  exist.  If  these  limits  are  not  precisely  the 
same  as  the  Xth  chapter  of  Genesis  assigns  to  the 
land  of  Canaan,  at  all  events  these  115  names 
carry  us  to  the  very  centre  and  heart  of  that  far 
famed  country.  The  data  are  certainly  very  pre- 
cise with  regard  both  to  chronology  and  geo- 
graphy. In  fact,  this  list  of  115  names  is  nothing 
less  than  a synoptical  table  of  the  Promised 
Land,  made  270  years  before  the  Exodus. 

When  the  pylon  is  passed,  on  turning  sharply 
to  the  left,  the  last  lines  of  a very  long  inscrip- 
tion will  he  found  which  commences  at  the  further 
extremity  of  the  wall.  In  spite  of  many  muti- 
lations, too  often  intentional,  which  this  inscrip- 
tion has  undergone,  it  is  still  one  of  the  most 
valuable  among  the  many  texts  with  which  the 
walls  of  the  temple  of  Karnak  abound.  We  find 
here  inscribed  a succinct  account  of  all  the  wars 


KARNAK — INSCRIPTION  OF  T HOT  HUES  III.  177 

undertaken  by  Tliothmes  III.  from  the  twenty- 
second  to  the  fortieth  year  of  his  reign.  Fourteen 
campaigns  are  enumerated.  As  the  inscription 
is  above  all  due  to  the  anxiety  of  Thothmes  to 
apprise  posterity  of  the  numberless  gifts  with 
which  he  enriched  the  treasure  of  Ammon,  the 
author  of  the  text  enumerates  with  minute  care 
the  booty  taken  from  the  enemy,  and  the  tribute 
imposed  upon  him.  He  gives  the  number  of 
prisoners  made,  the  horses,  the  cattle,  the  ivory, 
the  ebony,  the  precious  woods,  the  rare  stones, 
the  chariots,  the  weapons,  the  furniture,  the 
utensils,  the  corn,  wine,  honey,  and  odoriferous 
perfumes  sent  into  Thebes.  Although,  in  the 
account  given  hy  Tacitus,  the  name  of  Eameses 
is  quoted,  and  not  that  of  Thothmes,  there  is  no. 
doubt  that  it  was  the  Karnak  text  that  the  priests 
showed  to  Germanicus.  “ Legebantur,”  says 
Tacitus,  “ et  indicta  gentibus  tributa,  pondus  ar- 
genti  et  auri,  numerus  armor  am  equorumque,  etdona 
templis,  ebur  atque  odores,  quasque  copias  frumenti 
et  omnium  utensilium  quceque  natio  penderet." 

The  large  Court  to  the  East. — It  is  a mistake  to 
consider  the  granite  chamber  already  mentioned 
(Pi)  as  the  actual  sanctuary  of  the  great  temple 
of  Kamak.  The  sanctuary  of  the  grand  temple 
13 


178  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

was  anterior  to  Philip,  anterior  even  to  Thothmes ; 
it  ranked  among  the  oldest  edifices  in  Egypt, 
since  it  dated  from  the  second  king  of  the  XIIth 
dynasty.  It  was  built  of  sandstone,  and  stood 
in  the  centre  of  the  large  court  to  the  east  (S). 
Its  renown,  its  antiquity,  and  probably  also  its 
riches  had  the  effect  of  attracting,  more  than  any 
other  part  of  the  temple,  the  attention  of  every 
conqueror  who  invaded  Thebes,  and  it  has  dis- 
appeared to  its  very  foundations.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  two  or  three  shafts  of  shattered  columns, 
on  which  may  still  be  traced  the  legend  of  User- 
tasen  I.,  nothing  remains  to  recall  its  memory. 

The  Eastern  Gallery  and  its  Dependencies  (T). 
—All  those  passages,  chambers,  and  galleries 
which  form  the  extreme  eastern  boundary  of  the 
grand  temple  of  Karnak  were  set  apart  for  reli- 
gious purposes.  The  processions  must  have 
passed  through  the  galleries,  while  some  of  the 
chambers  served  either  for  the  manipulation 
and  preparation  of  the  offerings,  or  as  a deposi- 
tory for  the  sacred  objects  which  were  used  at 
the  celebration  of  the  fetes.  This  part  of  the 
temple  was  the  work  of  Thothmes  III.,  some  few 
points  of  which  are  especially  deserving  of  the 
traveller’s  attention,  such  as  : — 


KARNAK — THE  HALL  OF  ANCESTORS.  179 

The  Chamber  X.,  the  sub-basement  of  which  is 
remarkable.  Thotlimes  depicted  here  the  fauna 
and  flora  of  Upper  Kuten,  as  also  of  an  unknown 
country  called  To-Nuter  (the  divine  land),  a 
country  which  must  be  sought  for  either  in  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  Arabian  peninsula,  or 
on  the  borders  of  the  Persian  gulf.  These  curious 
representations  are  not  to  be  met  with  in  any 
other  temple  of  Egypt.  The  two  fine  sphinxes 
in  pink  granite  which  now  adorn  the  principal 
court  of  the  Boolak  Museum  were  found  standing 
between  the  columns  of  this  chamber. 

The  Chamber  U. — All  the  pictures  bear  the 
name  of  Alexander  II.,  but  the  inscriptions  tell 
us  that  the  chamber  was  falling  into  ruins  when 
that  prince  caused  it  to  be  reconstructed. 

The  Chamber  V. — A smaller  chamber  was  en- 
closed in  chamber  V.  Some  thirty  years  ago  it 
was  taken  down  and  transported  to  Paris,  and  is 
known  in  scientific  circles  as  the  Hall  of  Ancestors. 
Thothmes  is  there  represented  as  offering  homage 
to  sixty  kings  chosen  from  among  his  predecessors 
on  the  throne. 

We  will  conclude  this  notice  of  the  grand 
temple  of  Karnak  with  one  more  observation. 
Every  one  is  awe-struck  at  the  marvellous  heap 
13  * 


180  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

of  stones  which  makes  this  grand  temple  at 
Karnak,  from  a certain  point  of  view,  the  most 
picturesque  monument  of  Egypt.  Is  this  stupen- 
dous ruin  the  result  of  an  earthquake?  Was 
the  destruction  of  Karnak  brought  about  by  the 
ravages  of  Ptolemy  Lathyrus,  and  the  pitiless 
sack  to  which  that  king  delivered  the  city  of 
Thebes,  after  a siege  of  seven  months  ? Was  it 
not  rather  owing  to  the  faulty  construction  of 
the  temple,  and  to  its  position  with  regard  to 
the  Kile?*  This  last  hypothesis  is  the  most 
probable  ; for  the  Pharaonic  temples  were,  gene- 
rally speaking,  built  with  extreme  carelessness. 
The  western  pylon,  for  instance,  has  given  way, 
simply  on  account  of  the  hollowness  of  its  con- 
struction, and  the  inward  inclination  of  the 
walls,  far  from  supplying  an  element  of  strength, 
proved  rather  a source  of  insecurity.  For  many 
years  the  grand  temple  of  Karnak  has,  more 
than  any  other  Egyptian  temple,  been  assailed 
by  the  infiltration  of  the  Nile,  whose  water, 
saturated  as  it  is  with  nitre,  eats  away  the  sand- 
stone. The  temple  of  Karnak,  therefore,  has 
suffered  in  an  exceptional  degree  from  the  effects 

* The  pavement  of  the  temple  is  about  six  feet  below 
the  present  level  of  the  surrounding  plain. 


KARNAK — THE  NORTHERN  RUINS. 


181 


of  time  through  the  negligence  of  its  constructors, 
ancl  above  all  through  its  relative  position  towards 
the  Nile  ; and  as  the  same  causes  produce  inces- 
santly the  same  effects,  one  may  predict  that  a 
time  will  come  when,  one  catastrophe  following 
another,  the  magnificent  hypostyl  hall,  whose 
columns  are  already  so  much  eaten  away  at 
their  base,  will  give  way  and  collapse  altogether, 
as  has  been  the  case  with  the  columns  of  the 
grand  western  court. 

III.  The  Ruins  to  the  North. — -Our  route 
now  lies  to  the  north  of  the  great  temple  and 
in  the  very  midst  of  the  ruins  with  which  this 
portion  of  Karnak  is  strewn.  The  two  sanc- 
tuaries which  lie  to  the  left  are  of  the  XXVIth 
dynasty,  and  possess  hut  little  interest.  The 
temple  which  abuts  upon  the  encircling  wall 
was  begun  by  Thothmes  III.,  and  successively 
enlarged  by  Sabacon  and  the  Ptolemies.  On  the 
other  side  of  the  same  encircling  wall,  and  cor- 
responding with  six  doorways  pierced  in  it,  are 
six  small  temples  all  in  ruins,  which  belong  to 
the  period  comprised  between  the  XXIIud  and 
XXVIth  dynasties.  Again,  quite  to  the  north 
stands  an  edifice  dedicated,  like  the  grand 
temple  of  Karnak,  to  the  principal  personage 


182 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


of  the  Theban  triad.  This  edifice  was  founded, 
and  probably  entirely  constructed  by  Amenophis 
III.  Under  the  Ptolemies,  the  front  part  of  the 
monument,  including  the  chamber  which  is  sur- 
rounded with  columns,  was  repaired  in  con- 
formity with  the  style  of  the  period,  as  was 
also,  in  the  same  manner  and  at  the  same 
time,  the  monumental  portal  to  the  extreme 
north.  Already,  in  front  of  the  temple  properly 
so  called,  Eameses  II.  had  raised  the  two  granite 
obelisks,  of  which  nothing  but  the  debris  is  now 
to  be  seen.  The  temple  itself  is  in  a state  of 
utter  ruin;  in  certain  parts  the  walls  have  dis- 
appeared to  their  very  foundations,  in  others  they 
have  preserved  only  a foot  or  two  of  their  origi- 
nal height.  However,  one  entire  gateway  may 
still  be  seen  standing,  as  well  as  a few  remains 
of  rather  high  walls  at  the  south  west  corner. 

IV.  The  Ruins  to  the  South. — We  now  re- 
trace our  steps  southwards,  that  is  to  say  towards 
Luxor  whence  we  started,  and  continuing  along 
the  wall  which  bounds  the  grand  temple  to  the 
east,  we  find  our  way  to  the  three  remaining 
points  which  we  have  yet  to  visit : the  lake,  the 
four  pylons  to  the  south,  and  the  temple  of  Mout. 

The  Lake. — The  sacred  barks  of  the  temple 


KARXAK — THE  SOUTHERN  RUINS. 


1S3 


went  in  procession  on  the  lake  during  the  fete 
days.  This  lake  had  been  dug  out  by  Thotlnnes 
III.,  who,  in  one  of  the  inscriptions  of  the  temple, 
boasts  of  having  himself  presided  over  the  com- 
mencement of  the  works.  There  is  no  canal  con- 
necting this  lake  with  the  Nile,  its  waters  main- 
taining their  level  by  gradual  infiltration  alone. 

The  Four  Pylons  to  the  South. — These  are  all 
more  or  less  in  ruins.  Judging  by  the  position 
they  occupy  in  the  general  plan  of  Karnak,  they 
were  evidently  intended  as  a link  between  the 
temple  of  Mout  and  the  grand  temple ; but  the 
singular  divergence  of  their  axis  constitutes  a 
problem  not  so  easily  solved.  Perhaps,  on  the 
vast  space  of  ground  left  bare  by  the  side  of  the 
grand  temple,  these  pylons  were  erected  as  so 
many  triumphal  arches,  intended  to  perpetuate 
the  glory  of  their  royal  founders.  This  seems 
more  than  probable,  especially  if  one  tries  to 
recall  in  imagination  the  two  high  towers  of  the 
pylon,  their  large  central  entrance  gate,  and  the 
heroic  battle  scenes  with  which  their  sides  were 
covered.  The  two  southernmost  pylons  date  from 
the  reign  of  Horus  (XVIIIth  dynasty).  The  third 
was  begun  by  Queen  Hatasou,  after  she  had  been 
associated  on  the  throne  with  her  father  Tlioth- 


184  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPEIi  EGYPT. 

mes  I.  The  fourth  is  of  the  time  of  Thotlimes 
III.  Numberless  inscriptions,  overlaying  each 
other  in  the  names  of  Sethi  I.,  Eameses  II., 
Eameses  IY.  and  Eameses  VI. , are  to  be  seen 
at  various  points,  particularly  on  the  second 
of  these  pylons. 

Colossal  statues  adorned  each  side  of  the  four 
pylons.  These  are  destroyed,  or,  at  least,  any 
portion  that  remains  is  in  a deplorable  state  of 
mutilation.  The  two  statues  of  fine  white  lime- 
stone, which  are  attached  to  the  northern  side  of 
the  first  pylon,  represent  Eameses  II.  Sis  co- 
lossi once  stood  in  front  of  the  southern  side  of 
the  third  pylon,  hut  those  to  the  west  have  alone 
left  any  visible  remains.  The  first  represents 
Thothmes  II.  seated.  The  second  is  the  colossus 
of  Amenophis  I.,  of  which  we  have  already 
spoken ; and  on  the  base  of  the  third  may  be 
read  the  cartouches  of  Thothmes  III. 

Between  the  first  and  second  pylons,  in  the 
centre  of  the  enclosing  wall  that  connects  them, 
is  a temple  of  peculiar  construction,  of  which  it 
may  he  interesting  to  point  out  the  sj)ecial  pur- 
pose. The  whole  of  this  temple  belongs  to  the 
time  of  Amenophis  II. ; in  it  we  may  recognise 
a perfect  model  of  that  sort  of  resting  place 


KA.RNAK — THE  TE3IPLE  OF  MOUT. 


185 


where,  during  the  grand  commemorative  fetes 
of  the  principal  temple,  the  processions  halted 
for  the  performance  of  some  special  ceremonial. 

The  Temple  of  Mont. — We  have  now  reached 
the  southernmost  extremity  of  Ivarnak.  The 
temple  of  Mout  has  suffered  more  than  any  of 
those  previously  described,  and  we  cannot  help 
feeling  a still  deeper  regret  at  the  ruined  state 
to  which  it  has  been  reduced  when  we  reflect 
that  here  we  have  an  entire  temple,  with  its 
surrounding  wall,  its  pylons,  sphinxes  and  sanc- 
tuary, and  even  its  lake.  The  temple  of  Ammon 
to  the  north  of  Ivarnak  was  founded  by  Ameno- 
pliis  III.,  and  it  is  again  the  same  king  whose 
name  we  find  given  as  the  founder  of  the  temple 
of  Mout  to  the  south. 

The  lion-headed  figures  which  decorate  the 
temple  raise  a problem  which  as  yet  has  scarcely 
been  solved.  The  first  court  was,  so  to  speak, 
filled  with  these  figures,  as  well  as  the  second 
court  and  the  two  passages  which  run  round 
the  temple  from  east  to  west.  They  are  all  cut 
out  of  black  granite,  and  are  all  almost  exactly 
alike  as  to  size  and  execution.  Symmetrically 
arranged  along  the  wall  in  a single,  or  some- 
times in  a double  row,  they  sit  so  close  together 


186  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

that  their  elbows  almost  touch.  Finally,  if  we 
try  to  reconstruct  the  whole  from  the  data  fur- 
nished by  such  of  the  statues  as  still  remain 
in  them  original  position,  and  supply  therefore 
reliable  evidence,  we  shall  find  that  the  temple  of 
Mout  was  originally  adorned  with  no  less  than 
five  hundred  statues,  uniformly  representing  a 
lion-headed  goddess. 

We  now  pass  to  the  left  bank  of  the  river. 
Here  the  route  varies  with  the  season.  When 
the  Nile  is  low,  and  the  western  plain  is  dry, 
and  especially  when  a landing  can  easily  be 
effected  on  the  left  bank,  immediately  opposite 
Luxor,  it  is  better  to  fix  the  head  quarters  at 
Luxor,  as  from  that  central  spot  the  town  itself 
can  be  visited  as  well  as  the  left  hank  of  the 
river.  But  when  the  Nile  is  overflowing  its 
banks,  and  even  for  some  time  after  its  waters 
have  begun  to  subside,  the  plain  is  covered  with 
pools  of  water  and  traversed  by  numerous  canals  ; 
nor  is  it  an  uncommon  occurrence  at  that  time 
of  year  for  a boat  starting  from  Luxor  to  run 
aground  before  reaching  the  opposite  bank,  and 
travellers  have  to  be  carried  from  the  boats  by 
the  Arabs  to  a distance  of  perhaps  two  or  three 
hundred  yards.  Therefore  it  is  advisable  when 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  GOORNAH. 


187 


the  Nile  is  full  to  leave  Luxor  and  to  seek  a spot 
some  three  miles  further  down  the  stream,  where 
a better  landing  may  be  effected,  and  whence 
easy  access  is  obtained  to  the  ruins.  In  other 
words,  when  the  Nile  is  low  the  temples  on  the 
left  bank  may  be  visited  from  the  south  ; when 
the  Nile  is  high  it  is  as  well,  as  we  are  about  to 
do,  to  commence  from  the  north. 

The  temples  to  be  visited  on  the  left  bank  are 
as  follow  : — 

The  Temple  of  Goornah. — This  is  the  most 
northerly  of  the  temples  on  the  left  bank  ; it  is 
situated  at  the  extremity  of  the  cultivated  land, 
and  at  the  entrance  of  the  gorge  which  leads  to 
Bab-el-Molouk.  Two  pylons  once  stood  in  front 
of  this  temple,  but  a few  stones  are  all  that  now 
remains  to  mark  their  place.  Built  at  the  same 
time  as  the  temple  of  Sethi  at  Abydos,  the 
temple  of  Goornah  is  likewise  on  a somewhat 
fantastical  plan,  the  purport  of  which  cannot  be 
thoroughly  realised,  as  the  inscriptions  in  the 
interior  throw  no  light  on  the  details  of  those 
ceremonies  for  which  either  temple  was  set 
apart.  This  temple,  like  that  of  Abydos,  is  fune- 
real in  its  character,  and  herein  lies  its  origin- 
ality ; for  whilst  at  Abydos  the  deity  of  the 


188  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

temple  is  Osiris  himself,  king  of  the  Egyptian 
infernal  regions,  here  the  deity  of  the  temple  is 
Eameses  I.  to  whose  memory  the  monument  was 
raised  by  his  son  Sethi.  The  position  of  the 
temple  on  the  borders  of  the  desert  and  at  the 
entrance  to  the  necropolis  is  thus  explained.  The 
temple  is,  in  fact,  a cenotaph.  We  have  had 
occasion  more  than  once,  in  the  early  part  of 
this  work,  to  refer  to  that  portion  of  the  rnasta- 
bah,  so  thoroughly  distinct  from  the  well,  where 
on  certain  days  in  the  year  the  relatives  as- 
sembled and  the  defunct  was  treated  almost  as 
though  he  were  still  alive.  The  main  idea  of 
the  temple  of  Goornah  is  in  some  respects  the 
same,  allowance  being  made  for  the  interval 
which,  from  an  Egyptian  point  of  view,  separ- 
ates the  king  from  his  subjects.  The  temple  of 
Goornah  was,  so  to  speak,  haunted  by  the  memory 
of  Eameses  I.  It  was  the  memory  of  this  king 
that  the  faithful  came  to  evoke  on  certain  days 
prescribed  by  the  rite.  The  mummy  itself  re- 
posed afar  off,  deep  down  in  the  liypogeum  of 
Bab-el-Molouk,  just  as  in  the  mastabahs  of  the 
Ancient  Empire  the  mummy  reposed  at  the 
bottom  of  an  inaccessible  well. 

The  style  of  the  bas-reliefs  at  Goornah  also 


THE  RAMESEUM. 


189 


recalls  forcibly  those  at  Abydos.  On  both  sides 
one  sees  the  same  artistic  design,  the  same 
largeness  of  treatment  and  the  same  delicacy  of 
touch.  After  entering  the  hall  of  six  columns 
by  the  central  doorway,  the  visitor  will  find,  on 
one  of  the  walls  of  the  third  chamber  to  the 
right,  an  admirable  head  of  Sethi,  scarcely 
inferior  to  the  most  beautiful  of  those  we  have 
already  admired  on  the  walls  of  Abydos.  Sethi, 
whose  filial  piety  had  raised  this  temple,  left 
some  portions  unfinished  ; of  these  Rameses  II. 
took  possession,  and,  in  his  turn,  dedicated  them 
to  the  memory  of  his  father  Sethi. 

The  Rameseum. — The  Rameseum  is  reached 
from  Goornah  in  following  the  edge  of  the  culti- 
vated land.  The  route  lies  past  Drah-abou'l- 
-Neggah,  across  a part  of  El-Assassif,  and  skirts 
the  necropolis  of  Scheikh  Abd-el-Goornali.  Pre- 
sently, some  imposing  ruins  are  reached,  from 
the  midst  of  which  the  colossal  caryatides  and 
the  majestic  columns  stand  out  in  golden  relief 
against  the  neighbouring  mountains— this  is 
the  Rameseum. 

The  Rameseum  -was  erected  by  Rameses  II., 
whose  cartouches  are  sculptured  on  each  of 
its  walls ; it  was  formerly  styled  the  Palace  of 


190  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

Memnon,  and  the  Tomb  of  Osymandyas,  but  it 
was  much  more  appropriately  called  Rameseum 
by  Cliampollion- — a name  it  has  retained. 

The  idea  which  presided  at  the  construction 
of  the  temple  of  Goornah  presided  also  at  the 
erection  of  the  Rameseum.  Here  also  the 
temple  is  a cenotaph.  Only,  instead  of  being 
founded  by  the  son  of  the  deceased  king,  this 
temple  is  a monument  raised  by  Rameses  II. 
to  himself.  In  speaking  of  the  tombs  of  the 
Ancient  Empire  we  stated  that  they  were  con- 
structed by  the  defunct  during  his  lifetime,  a 
fact  which  is  beyond  dispute.  When  Ameni- 
-Amenemha,  for  instance,  relates  at  Beni-Hassan 
how,  as  general  of  infantry,  he  defeated  the 
Ethiopians,  and  as  moudir  of  the  province  of  Sah 
he  was  generous  to  the  widow  and  the  orphan, 
it  is  not  from  the  devotion  of  the  survivors  that 
this  panegyric  proceeds,  it  is  Ameni-Amenemha 
himself  who,  in  a sort  of  autobiography,  thus 
extols  his  own  virtues.  In  the  same  way, 
Rameses  raises  in  the  necropolis  of  Thebes, 
in  the  very  centre  of  the  district  of  the  dead, 
a monument  where  after  his  death  his  subjects 
shall  come  and  evoke  his  memory,  and  wherein 
he  naturally  displays  his  piety,  his  glory,  and, 


TIIE  RAMESEUM. 


191 


as  a matter  of  course,  liis  campaigns.  In  fact, 
the  Rameseum,  whilst  a funereal  edifice  in  the 
main,  according  to  its  founder’s  intention,  be- 
comes historical  in  its  details,  thanks  to  the 
numerous  historical  pictures  which  are  sculp- 
tured on  its  walls. 

Like  the  temple  of  Goornah,  it  was  preceded 
by  two  pylons,  now  more  or  less  demolished. 
The  sculptures  on  the  first  of  these  pylons  are 
only  visible  at  a certain  hour  in  the  day  when 
the  light  becomes  sufficiently  crisp.  The  sculp- 
tures are  historical,  and  refer  to  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  episodes  in  the  reign  of  Eameses  II. 
The  scene  is  laid  in  Syria,  on  the  borders  of  a 
river  which  everything  seems  to  point  out  as  the 
Orontes.  Eameses  is  present  in  person,  and 
comes,  fully  armed,  to  dispute  the  possession 
of  the  country  against  a vast  confederation  of 
people  designated  under  the  generic  name  of 
Ivhetas.  Kadesh  is  the  nearest  town.  Through 
a concourse  of  circumstances  w'hich  do  not 
exactly  reflect  credit  on  the  Egyptian  generals, 
Rameses  finds  himself  suddenly  surrounded  by 
his  enemies.  The  soldiers  who  formed  his  es- 
cort had  taken  flight.  Eameses  stands  alone, 
and  “ there  is  no  one  with  him.”  With  unre- 


192  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

fleeting  valour  he  throws  himself  among  the 
chariots.  He  kills  the  chiefs  of  “ the  vile 
Ivhetas,”  forces  their  troops  to  recross  the 
river  in  hot  haste,  and  by  his  personal  courage 
turns  the  threatened  rout  into  a complete  vic- 
tory. This  brilliant  feat  of  arms  is  what  the 
first  pylon  of  the  Eameseum  commemorates. 
On  one  side,  Rameses  is  seen  precipitating  him- 
self into  the  thickest  of  the  fight ; the  enemy 
fly  in  terror ; some  are  crushed  under  the  feet 
of  the  horses,  and  under  the  chariot-wheels  ; 
others  lie  dead  on  the  ground  pierced  with  the 
arrows  shot  by  the  king’s  own  hand ; others 
again  leap  into  the  river  and  are  drowned.  On 
the  opposite  side,  the  king  is  represented  seated 
on  his  throne  ; his  officers  come  forward  tender- 
ing their  congratulations,  hut  it  is  with  reproofs 
that  the  king  receives  them  : “ Not  one  among 
you,”  he  exclaims,  “ has  behaved  well  in  thus 
deserting  me  and  leaving  me  alone  in  the  midst 
of  the  enemy.  The  princes  and  captains  did 
not  join  hands  with  me  in  fight ; by  myself  have 
I done  battle  ; I have  put  to  flight  thousands  of 
nations,  and  I was  all  alone ! . . .”  In  de- 
scribing the  temple  of  Luxor  we  have  mentioned 
the  two  obelisks  which  stand  before  the  pylon,  and 


THE  COLOSSUS  OF  R AMESES. 


193 


the  pylon  itself,  but  we  omitted  to  add  that  the 
representations  which  cover  the  outer  wall  of  this 
pylon  are  historical.  It  is  to  this  same  episode 
of  the  war  with  the  Khetas  that  they  refer,  and 
Eameses  is  there  also  represented  as  accom- 
plishing the  exploit  which  he  evidently  con- 
sidered one  of  the  greatest  events  of  his  reign ; 
for  he  reproduced  it  at  the  Rameseum,  at  Luxor, 
at  Ivarnak,  and  at  Ipsamboul,  and  we  shall 
again  find  it  recorded  upon  the  second  pylon  of 
the  temple  we  are  now  describing.* 

What  remains  of  the  second  pylon  seems  to 
preserve  its  equilibrium  only  by  a miracle,  and 
if  we  did  not  know  that  the  artists  who  accom- 
panied the  French  Expedition  some  seventy- five 
years  ago  saw  it  and  sketched  it  in  the  same 
state  in  which  we  see  it  and  sketch  it  at  the 
present  day,  we  should  fear  at  every  moment  to 
see  it  fall.  This  second  pylon  gave  access  to  a 
court  surrounded  by  pilasters  supporting  large 
figures  of  Rameses  invested  with  the  attributes 
of  Osiris  — an  arrangement  in  harmony  with  the 
funereal  character  of  the  temple. 

In  front  of  the  pylon,  that  is  to  say  on  the 

* This  episode  is  the  subject  of  the  poem  of  Pen- ta-our, 
of  which  we  have  spoken  above  (page  165). 

14 


194  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

eastern  side,  stood  tlie  most  gigantic  statue  that 
the  Egyptians  ever  carved  out  of  a single  block  of 
granite.  It  measured  17  met.  53  cent.,  or  57  feet 
5 inches  in  height,  and  its  weight  could  not  be 
less  than  1,217,872  kilos,  or  upwards  of  1,198 
tons.  Eameses,  it  need  hardly  he  said,  is  the 
personage  represented.  Unfortunately,  of  one  of 
the  most  prodigious  works  which  have  come  from 
the  Egyptian  chisel  nothing  now  remains  but 
fragments.  The  face  even  is  mutilated,  and  in 
looking  at  this  enormous  monolith  broken  in 
pieces,  the  victim  of  an  implacable  fury,  one  does 
not  know  which  to  wonder  at  most,  the  patience 
and  strength  of  those  who  brought  it  entire  from 
Assouan  to  serve  as  ornament  to  a temple,  or  the 
strength  and  patience  of  those  who  overthrew 
the  monster  and  laid  him  low. 

On  the  interior  facade  of  the  pylon,  against 
which  the  colossus  of  Raineses  rested,  are  sculp- 
tured numerous  historical  pictures,  where  -we 
again  find  the  episode  of  the  battle  against  the 
Ivlietas.  The  light  here  is  more  favourable,  and 
the  details  of  the  scene  can  be  better  studied. 
Eameses  is  in  the  centre  of  the  affray,  deal- 
ing death  around  him,  and  already  numerous 
corpses  strew  the  field  of  battle.  Here  Graba- 


THE  RAMESEUM. 


195 


tousa,  the  armour-bearer  of  the  prince  of  Kheta, 
falls  pierced  by  the  arrows  of  the  king ; there 
Rabsounma,  captain  of  the  archers,  meets  with 
the  same  fate.  The  Orontes  lies  in  the  path  of 
the  Khetas,  who  fly  in  disorder.  They  precipitate 
themselves  into  the  stream,  and  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river  one  sees  being  drawn  out  of  the 
water  one  of  the  enemy’s  generals,  whom  his 
soldiers  suspend  with  his  head  downwards,  in 
order  to  expel  the  water  which  threatens  to  suf- 
focate him.  The  episodes  which  the  artist  ha  s 
introduced  here  and  there  with  more  industry 
than  talent,  are  as  numerous  as  they  are  inter- 
esting, witness  the  different  portions  of  the  large 
bas-reliefs  which  cover  the  pylon.  In  other  parts 
of  the  edifice  there  are  many  religious  scenes 
representing  Raineses  in  adoration  before  the 
Theban  gods,  some  lengthy  lists  of  princes  and 
princesses  of  the  royal  family,  and  an  astronomi- 
cal table  which  Biot’s  learned  descriptions  have 
rendered  famous.  The  hall  conducting  to  the 
ceremonial  chambers  of  the  temple  has  graceful 
columns  with  capitals  of  expanded  flowers,  which 
contrast  favourably  with  the  heavy  columns  of 
Karnak. 

The  Colossi. — The  Colossi  stood  before  the 
14  * 


196  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

pylon  of  a temple  which  has  disappeared  to  the 
very  foundations.  It  was  built  of  limestone  and 
owes  its  destruction  to  the  value  of  its  materials. 
The  colossi  are  of  breccia,  a kind  of  pudding- 
stone  mixed  with  agate-like  pebbles,  and  as  they 
were  of  no  use  as  food  for  the  neighbouring  lime- 
kilns, they  have  survived.  Doubtless  the  temple, 
the  entrance  to  which  was  so  majestically  guarded 
by  these  colossi,  was  to  Amenophis  III.  what  the 
Rameseum  was  to  Rameses  II.,  and  what  Medi- 
net-Abou  was  to  Rameses  III.  It  may  therefore 
be  inferred  that  the  destruction  of  this  edifice 
has  deprived  science  of  documents  which  would 
probably  have  thrown  much  light  upon  one  of 
the  most  interesting  reigns  in  Egyptian  history. 

Originally,  the  colossi  were  monoliths.  The 
northern  colossus  having  been  robbed  of  its  upper 
portion  by  an  accident,  to  which  we  shall  have 
occasion  to  refer  presently,  was  restored  with 
blocks  of  sandstone  disposed  in  layers.  Each 
colossus  rests  on  a separate  basis,  also  of  breccia. 

"When  these  two  statues  stood  in  front  of  the 
pylon,  rising  so  grandly  from  their  base,  they 
were  19  met.  60  cent,  or  64  feet  4 inches  high ; that 
is  to  say,  about  the  height  of  a five-storied  house. 
Independently  of  their  pedestal  the  statues  them- 


THE  COLOSSUS  OF  MEMNON. 


197 


selves  only  measure  15  met.  60  cent.,  or  51  feet 

2 inches.  They  are  buried  in  the  ground,  like 
the  temple  of  Karnak,  to  a depth  of  about  6 feet 

3 inches.  We  need  hardly  add  that  both  statues 
represent  Amenophis  III.  seated  in  the  hieratic 
posture.  The  figures  at  the  side  represent  the 
mother  and  the  wife  of  that  sovereign. 

The  more  northerly  of  the  two  statues  is  the 
Colossus  of  Memnon,  so  renowmed  among  travellers 
wdio,  in  the  two  first  centuries  of  the  Roman  do- 
minion in  Egypt,  visited  theland  of  the  Pharaohs. 
Destined  by  Amenophis  as  an  ornament  to  the 
faQade  of  his  temple,  this  colossus  had  remained 
known  to  all  the  world  as  the  statue  of  Ameno- 
phis until  the  upper  part  was  destroyed  by  an 
earthquake  in  the  year  27  b.c.*  Strange  to  say, 
this  same  accident  by  which  the  colossus  was  so 
materially  damaged  proved  the  chief  cause  of  its 
celebrity.  It  soon  became  apparent  that  from 
the  headless  trunk  a sonorous  ringing  sound,  re- 

* Thebce  JEgypti  usque  ad  solum  dirutce  sunt,  says 
Eusebius.  If  the  earthquake  proved  so  violent,  we  may 
attribute  to  the  same  cause  the  fall  of  the  pylon  at  Kar- 
nak, the  accumulated  stones  of  which  impress  one  so 
strongly  on  entering  the  large  court,  although,  as  we  have 
pointed  out,  Karnak  has  found  its  principal  enemy  in  the 
nitre  that  corrodes  the  base  of  its  walls. 


198  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

sembling  the  human  voice,  was  heard  when  the 
first  rays  of  the  morning  sun  fell  upon  the  statue. 
Doubtless  this  sound  was  merely  the  result  of 
the  cracking  of  the  stone,  wet  with  the  morning 
dew,  under  the  influence  of  the  rays  of  the  sun. 
But  by  the  Greeks  and  the  Romans  who  visited 
Egypt  at  that  time  the  phenomenon  soon  began 
to  be  looked  upon  in  the  light  of  a miracle.  The 
colossus  was  situated  in  a district  of  Thebes 
called  the  Memnonia.  Memnon  was,  according 
to  the  tradition  accepted  by  foreigners,  the 
legendary  founder  of  the  edifices  of  this  part 
of  the  city.  Was  not  the  voice  thus  heard  the 
plaintive  voice  of  Memnon  imploring  his  divine 
mother  Aurora  ? The  fame  of  the  colossus  soon 
spread  abroad.  From  all  parts  of  the  known 
world  people  came  to  hear  the  marvellous  voice, 
and  the  mania  arose  for  engraving  on  the  legs  of 
the  statue  the  tokens  of  admiration  of  those  who 
were  fortunate  enough  to  become  witnesses  of 
this  miracle.  Eventually,  after  the  lapse  of 
two  centuries,  Septimius  Severus,  thinking  to 
stay  the  plaintive  cries  of  the  hero,  and  to  impart 
clearness  and  beauty  to  his  voice,  restored  the 
colossus.  He,  however,  only  partially  succeeded; 
the  hero,  it  is  true,  no  longer  uttered  his  plaintive 


THE  COLOSSUS  OF  MEMNON. 


199 


cries,  but  all  sound  was  effectually  smothered  and 
for  ever  silenced  under  the  blocks  of  sandstone 
which  we  see  to  this  day. 

One  may  easily  see,  on  inspecting  the  legs  of 
the  colossus,  how  numerous  were  these  tokens 
of  admiration.  Many  of  them  are  dated,  the 
most  ancient  being  of  the  time  of  Nero,  the 
most  recent  of  that  of  Septimius  Severus.  The 
reign  of  Hadrian  alone  added  twenty-seven  to 
the  collection,  and  there  are  others,  still  more 
numerous,  which  are  not  accompanied  by  any 
date.  Most  frequently  these  inscriptions  are  in 
prose,  and  run  thus  : “ Sabina  Augusta,  the  con- 
sort of  the  Emperor  Caesar  Augustus,  has  twice 
heard  the  voice  of  Memnon  during  the  first  hour.” 
And  again:  “I,  Vitalinus,  epistrateges  ofThebaid, 
with  my  wife,  Publia  Sosis,  I have  heard  Memnon 
in  the  year  III.  ...  in  the  month  of  Pachon  (or 
ninth  month),  twice  at  half  past  one  o’clock.”  But 
sometimes  also  poetry  is  employed,  and  we  may 
quote  the  two  following  samples:  “I,  Petronia- 
mus,  who  inherit  from  my  father  the  name  of 
Dillius,  an  Italian  by  birth,  I honour  thee  with 
these  elegiac  verses,  in  offering  to  the  god  who 
speaks  to  me  a poetical  gift.  But,  in  return,  0 
king,  grant  me  a long  life  ! Many  are  they  who 


200  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


come  to  this  spot  to  know  whether  Memnon 
preserves  a voice  in  that  portion  of  his  body 
which  remains  to  him.  As  for  him,  seated  on 
his  throne,  deprived  of  his  head,  he  breaks  into 
sighs  to  complain  to  his  mother  of  the  outrage 
of  Cambyses,  and  wThen  the  brilliant  sun  shoots 
forth  his  rays,  he  announces  the  return  of  day 
to  the  mortals  here  assembled.” — “ Thy  mother 
Aurora,  the  rosy-fingered  goddess,  0 far-famed 
Memnon,  has  rendered  thee  vocal  for  me  who 
was  desirous  to  hear  thee.  In  the  twelfth  year 
of  the  illustrious  Antoninus,  during  the  month 
of  Pachon  (the  ninth  month),  reckoning  thirteen 
days,  twice,  0 divine  being,  have  I heard  th}7 
voice  when  the  sun  left  the  majestic  waves  of 
the  ocean.  In  olden  times,  Jupiter,  the  son  of 
Saturn,  made  thee  king  of  the  East,  and  now 
thou  art  nothing  but  stone,  and  out  of  a stone 
proceeds  thy  voice.  Gamella,  in  his  turn,  has 
written  these  verses,  having  come  here  with  his 
beloved  spouse  Rafilla,  and  his  children.” 

Deir-el-Medineh. — Between  the  colossi  and 
Medinet-Abou,  behind  that  part  of  the  ancient 
necropolis  called  Goornat-  Mourai,  is  a small 
temple  hidden  in  a hollow.  It  was  begun  by 
Ptolemy  Philopater,  and  finished  by  his  sue- 


DEIR-EL-MEDINEH. 


201 


cessors.  Tlae  place  which  it  occupies  in  the 
necropolis,  and  the  presence  of  Osiris  among 
the  deities  of  the  interior,  undoubtedly  mark 
this  temple  as  a funereal  monument.  The  in- 
scriptions, however,  give  no  certain  clue  to  the 
definite  intention  nor  to  the  general  idea  which 
it  served  to  commemorate. 

We  would  scarcely  recommend  it  to  the  notice 
of  the  ordinary  traveller,  were  it  not  that  its  ele- 
gant fa9ade,  constructed  upon  a design  of  which 
no  better  example  can  be  found  in  Egypt,  is  well 
worth  a visit.  There  is  also  a curious  window, 
opening  out  of  the  southern  w'all  of  one  of  the 
inner  chambers,  which  may  be  studied  with 
advantage. 

Medinet-Abou. — Proceeding  from  the  north 
along  the  western  side  of  Thebes,  which  is  the 
route  wre  are  now  following,  one  perceives  from  a 
distance,  lying  some  way  off  to  the  south,  a large 
sombre-coloured  mound,  out  of  which  emerge 
here  and  there  some  constructions  of  a golden  hue. 
This  gloomy-looking  mound  is  a Coptic  village, 
which,  at  the  downfall  of  the  Egyptian  religion, 
grew  up  all  round  and  above  a temple  whose 
ruins  we  begin  to  discern,  until  it  almost  entirely 
buried  it.  The  temple  is  that  of  Medinet-Abou, 


202  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

so  called  after  the  very  village  which,  fungus- 
like, had  fastened  itself  on  to  its  ancient  walls. 

By  many  the  temple  of  Medinet-Abou  is  con- 
sidered a sort  of  Versailles,  raised  to  celebrate  the 
glory  of  Bameses  III.  But,  in  reality,  Medinet- 
-Abou  is  composed  of  two  separate  temples. 

1°.  Temple  of  Thothmes  III. — The  florid  capi- 
tals of  the  columns  standing  at  the  end  of  the 
first  court,  as  also  the  clumsy  style  of  the 
sculptures  and  especially  of  the  hieroglyphs, 
clearly  indicate  that  the  entrance  is  of  the 
Roman  period.  In  fact,  the  names  of  Titus, 
Hadrian,  and  Antoninus  may  be  read  in  various 
parts  of  the  court.  A Roman  origin  also  may 
be  assigned  to  the  half-finished  pylon  wTiich 
succeeds  the  first  court,  although  the  portal 
placed  between  them  dates  on  one  side  from  the 
reign  of  Ptolemy  Lathyrus,  and  on  the  other 
from  that  of  Philip  Auletes. 

We  next  come  upon  a smaller  court  which 
terminates  in  a pylon  of  the  most  elegant  con- 
struction. The  dates  here  can  only  be  arrived 
at,  so  to  speak,  by  intuition.  True,  some  few 
cartouches  are  visible  here  and  there  that  belong 
to  Tahraka  (XXVth  dynasty,  660  b.c.)  and  to 
Nectanebo  II.  (XXXth  dynasty,  350  b.c.);  but 


MEDINET-ABOU — TEMPLE  OF  THOTHMES  III.  203 


sometimes  one  has  to  discover  the  original  owner 
of  a cartouche  which  Ptolemy  Lathyrus  took 
from  Nectanebo  who  himself  had  taken  it  from 
Tahraka. 

Passing  through  the  central  doorway  of  the 
pylon  across  a third  court,  one  enters  the  temple, 
properly  so  called.  The  most  ancient  cartouches 
found  here  are  those  of  Thothmes  II.,  whilst 
those  of  Thothmes  III.  are  the  most  numerous. 
Then  follow,  down  to  Ptolemy  Physcon,  car- 
touches  of  almost  every  epoch,  which  are  curiously 
entangled  in  the  midst  of  the  many  restorations 
the  temple  has  undergone.  Having  thus  far 
ascertained  the  founder  of  the  temple,  and  the 
different  epochs  with  which  it  is  associated,  we 
may  wonder  for  what  purpose  this  little  edifice 
■was  designed  before  Eameses  III.  erected  so 
close  to  it  the  grand  monument  which  now 
absorbs  all  the  traveller’s  attention.  The  in- 
scriptions throw  no  light  on  this  point. 

2°.  Temple  of  Raineses  III. — The  temple  of 
Eameses  III.  by  its  size,  by  the  harmony  of  its 
parts,  its  historical  importance,  its  style,  and  the 
variety  of  pictures  with  which  it  is  adorned,  is 
one  of  the  monuments  of  Egypt  that  leave  the 
most  agreeable,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most 


204  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

lasting  impression  on  the  traveller’s  mind.  It 
consists  of  two  parts  separated  by  a court ; the 
first,  which  is  found  immediately  on  entering  the 
edifice  by  the  main  gateway,  has  been  called  the 
Palace.  Next  comes  the  real  Temple  ushered  in 
by  a magnificent  pylon. 

A.  The  Palace  possesses  all  the  characteristics 
of  a regal  habitation.  Two  large  square  towers, 
the  four  walls  of  which  incline  symmetrically 
towards  a common  centre,  form  the  main  body 
of  the  building.  The  architectural  details  are 
worthy  of  attention.  Externally,  especially  on 
the  north  side,  the  windows  are  surrounded  by 
singularly  original  and  curious  ornaments.  On 
the  upper  stories  are  seen  resting  on  the  backs 
of  recumbent  prisoners  slabs  evidently  intended 
to  support  the  extremities  of  the  verandah  which 
must  have  extended  over  the  entrance  corridor, 
so  as  to  shade  the  eastern  fa5ade  from  the  sun. 
But  it  is  chiefly  in  the  interior  chambers  that 
the  private  character  of  the  edifice  is  manifested. 
Here  Piameses  III.  is  really  in  his  home  sur- 
rounded by  his  family.  One  of  his  daughters 
brings  him  flowers ; he  plays  draughts  with 
another,  and  he  is  offered  fruits  by  a third  whom 
he  caresses  by  way  of  thanks. 


MEDINET-ABOU — PALACE  OF  E AMESES  III.  205 


It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  in  a construction 
of  such  importance,  Rameses  should  he  un- 
mindful of  future  history,  or  indifferent  to  the 
expediency  of  exhibiting  himself  as  a conqueror. 
In  fact,  at  the  very  entrance  gate,  Rameses  is 
represented  bringing  to  the  gods  the  prisoners  he 
has  captured.  With  most  remarkable  skill  the 
Egyptian  sculptor  has  succeeded  in  giving  to 
each  one  of  these  prisoners  the  distinctive  type 
of  his  race.  We  must  remember  that  we  are 
here  in  the  thirteenth  century  before  our  era, 
and  the  ethnologist  will  nowhere  find  more 
authentic  specimens  of  the  nations  who  then 
inhabited  Western  Asia,  Libya,  and  the  Soudan. 
At  the  most  eastern  entrance  gate,  the  passage 
leading  to  the  palace  suddenly  spreads  itself  out 
into  two  small  square  courts.  The  sculptures 
which  adorn  the  western  wall  of  these  courts 
should  be  carefully  studied ; here  especially  will 
be  found  portraits  of  captives  in  true  artistic 
style  which  must  have  been  drawn  from  the  life. 
To  the  right,  that  is  to  say  on  the  northern  side, 
are  captives  belonging  to  the  nations  of  the 
Mediterranean,  and  to  Western  Asia;  on  the 
south  side  are  those  from  Libya  and  the  Kousch 
country.  The  former  are  thus  described  : — 1°. 


206  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

• 

“ The  vile  chief  of  the  Khetas,  a living  prisoner;  ” 
he  is  full-faced  and  beardless ; his  ears  are 
adorned  with  large  rings,  and  his  head  is  covered 
with  a tight-fitting  cap  from  which  falls  a tress 
of  hair  which  hangs  down  his  back.  The  Ivlietas 
formed  a confederation  of  people  who  inhabited 
Syria  and  a part  of  Palestine. — 2°.  “ The  vile 
chief  of  the  Amaro  country  ” has  a long  face  and 
pointed  beard;  this  is  the  King  of  the  Amorites, 
the  inhabitants  of  the  western  shores  of  the 
Dead  Sea. — 3°.  “ The  chief  of  the  enemies  from 
T’akkara"  wears  a quaintly-shaped  cap,  hollowed 
out  at  the  side  and  flattened  at  the  top ; he  has 
a round  face  and  no  heard.  "We  are  advancing 
towards  the  north,  and  the  T’akkaraou  represent 
the  Teucrians  who  inhabited  the  coast  of  Asia 
Minor. — 4°.  “ The  country  of  the  Scharclina 
which  is  in  the  sea  ; ” the  personage  represent- 
ing this  country  is  remarkable  for  his  helmet, 
surmounted  by  a round  ball ; the  Scliardina  are 
easily  recognised  as  the  ancestors  of  the 
Sardinians. — 5°.  “ The  chief  of  the  enemies 
from  Schasou ; ” the  Schasou  are  well  known  in 
Egyptian  history  ; they  frequent  that  part  of  the 
desert  which  extends  along  the  Egyptian  fron- 
tiers by  the  Isthmus  of  Suez. — 6°.  “ The  country 


MEDINET-ABOU — ETHNOGRAPHICAL  LISTS.  207 


of  Toursa  which  is  in  the  sea ; ” these  are  the 
Tuscans  or  Etruscans. — 7°.  “ The  chief  of  the 
enemies  from  Ka  . . . ; ” the  mutilation  which 
this  portion  of  the  precious  list  has  undergone 
unfortunately  precludes  all  possibility  of  identi- 
fying this  people.  The  file  of  prisoners  from 
Libya  and  from  the  Kousch  country  is  even  more 
mutilated ; we  may,  however,  still  read  : — 1°. 
“The  chief  of  the  vile  race  of  Kouscli;"  the 
artist  has  exceptionally  given  him  the  features 
of  a negro,  although  Kousch  was  more  accurately 
included  by  the  Egyptians  themselves  in  the 
Chamitic  race. — 2°.  Destroyed.— 3°.  Also  de- 
stroyed ; the  individual  represented  here  was 
plainly  a Kouschite. — 4°.  “ The  chief  of  the 
country  of  Lihou ; ” his  beard  is  pointed,  and  a 
lock  of  hair  hangs  over  his  ear.  Here  the  iden- 
tification is  easy.  These  are  evidently  Libyans, 
the  neighbours  of  the  Egyptians  on  the  western 
side. — 5°.  “The  chief  of  the  country  of  the 
Toursas;"  another  type  of  the  Kouschites,  whose 
aquiline  nose  and  long  fringed  robe  must  not 
pass  unnoticed.— 6°.  “ The  chief  of  the  country 
of  the  Maschaouasch,”  so  striking  by  the  grandeur 
of  his  physiognomy.  The  Maschaouasch  are 
the  Mdfue?  of  Herodotus  ; they  inhabited  the 


208  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


northern  coast  of  Africa,  and  constituted  an 
important  subdivision  of  Libya. — 7°.  “The  chief 
of  the  country  of  the  Taraoua this  seventh 
personage  completes,  with  the  first,  third  and 
fifth,  the  series  of  the  four  Kouschite  tribes  who 
figure  in  this  picture  side  by  side  with  the 
Libyans. 

In  connection  with  the  edifice  to  which  this 
curious  ethnographical  series  serves,  so  to 
speak,  as  an  introduction,  a question  suggests 
itself  which  it  will  not  be  amiss  briefly  to  discuss. 
Was  the  edifice  which  we  have  just  entered 
really  a palace  ? If  so,  this  pavilion  of  Medinet- 
-Abou  is  the  only  example  of  civil  architecture 
which  we  possess.  And  yet,  judging  from  this 
one  specimen,  we  are  led  to  assume  that  palaces 
were  built  of  stone  as  solidly  as  the  temples 
themselves.  How  is  it  then  that  we  have  no 
remains  whatever  of  any  other  palace  ? We  are 
not  prepared  to  decide  here  the  question  as  to 
where  the  kings  had  their  abode,  a question 
which  has  become  more  and  more  difficult  to 
solve  since  we  have  ascertained  that  they  did  not 
inhabit  the  temples.  We  are,  however,  inclined 
to  think  that  the  founder  of  Medinet-Abou  never 
intended  to  make  this  pavilion  his  dwelling- 


MEDINET-ABOU — TEMPLE  OF  RAMESES  III.  209 


place.  Its  general  architecture,  as  seen  from 
afar  amidst  the  landscape,  recall's  those  triumphal 
towers  ( migdol ) represented  in  the  bas-reliefs 
of  Karnak,  of  Luxor,  of  the  Bameseum,  and  of 
Medinet-Abou  itself,  and  which  the  kings  of 
Egypt  were  wont  to  erect  on  their  frontiers, 
at  once  as  a means  of  defence,  and  as  a memorial 
of  their  victories.  \ The  pavilion  of  Medinet-Abou 
might  therefore  be  considered  not  as  an  example 
of  civil  architecture,  hut  rather  as  a monument 
of  military  achievement,  commemorative  of  a 
king  pre-eminently  warlike.* 

B.  The  temple  of  Medinet-Abou  was,  like  the 
palace,  entirely  constructed  and  decorated  by 
Bameses  III.  The  first  pylon  forms  by  itself 
a monograph  which  would  afford  interesting 
materials  for  special  study.  Large  stehe  hearing 
date  of  the  11th  and  12th  years  record  the  history 

* It  will  be  noticed  that  the  summit  of  the  encircling  wall 
of  the  towers  that  form  the  main  part  of  the  palace  is  crenel- 
lated, which  gives  still  more  to  the  edifice  the  appear- 
ance of  a fortification.  The  form  of  these  Medinet-Abou 
battlements  leads  one  to  suppose  that  they  may  originally  have 
been  formed  of  the  shields  of  soldiers  thus  disposed  in  rows, 
so  as  to  be  seen  from  the  outside  in  time  of  peace,  or  to  protect 
the  warrior  in  the  hour  of  battle.  We  should  not  ventuie 
upon  this  conjecture  if  a passage  in  Ezekiel  (xxvii.  II),  refer- 
ring to  bucklers  suspended  round  the  walls  of  Tyre,  did  not 
seem  to  afford  some  foundation  to  the  idea. 

15 


210 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


of  tlae  glorious  expeditions  undertaken  by  Eameses 
against  the  Libyans,  the  Maschaouash,  and  other 
nations  from  the  coasts  of  the  Mediterranean 
who  had  leagued  themselves  together  against 
Egypt.  On  the  northern  side  of  the  facade  of 
the  pylon  is  a picture  which  deserves  a special 
mention  on  account  of  the  poetic  turn  imparted 
to  one  of  its  inscriptions.  The  king  strikes  with 
his  falchion  a group  of  kneeling  prisoners. 
Ammon- Armaeliis  presents  him  with  the  battle- 
axe.  The  deity  addresses  the  king  in  a speech 
which  we  reproduce  in  the  words  of  an  excel- 
lent translation  lately  supplied  by  our  friend 
M.  Chabas : — 

“ My  son,  the  fruit  of  my  loins,  thou  whom  I 
love,  the  lord  over  the  two  worlds,  Eameses  III., 
champion  of  the  sword  over  the  whole  earth,  the 
Petti  of  Nubia  lie  stretched  out  at  thy  feet. 

“ I bring  thee  the  chiefs  of  the  southern  coun- 
tries with  their  children  on  their  backs,  together 
with  the  precious  produce  of  their  lands. 
Spare  the  life  of  such  as  thou  mayest  choose 
amongst  them  ; kill  as  many  as  it  may  seem 
good  to  thee. 

“ I turn  my  face  to  the  north  and  I overwhelm 
thee  with  marvels.  I bring  To-tescher  (the  red 


MEDINET-ABOU — TEMPLE  OF  RAMESES  III.  211 


land)  under  thy  feet.  Crush  thy  foolish  enemies 
between  thy  fingers  ; overthrow  the  Herouschaou 
with  thy  victorious  sword.  I bring  to  thee  also  na- 
tions that  know  not  Egypt,  their  coffers  filled  wdth 
gold,  with  silver,  with  pure  lapis-lazuli,  and  all 
kinds  of  precious  stones  ; the  choicest  products  of 
To-nuter  are  before  thy  fair  face. 

“ I turn  my  face  to  the  east  and  I overwhelm 
thee  with  marvels.  I unite  them  all  together 
into  thine  hand ; for  thee  I gather  together  all 
the  produce  of  Pount ; all  the  produce  in  kami 
and  in  precious  ana,  with  every  sort  of  odori- 
ferous plants,  is  before  thee. 

“ I turn  myself  to  the  west  and  I overwhelm 
thee  with  marvels.  Ravage  the  country  of  the 
Tahennou ; may  they  how  down  before  thee  in 
adoration,  or  may  they  fall  down  as  they  fly 
from  thy  terrible  voice.” 

In  the  court  which  immediately  follows  the 
first  pylon,  we  find  a remarkable  instance  of 
what  Sir  Gardner  Wilkinson  has  ingeniously 
called  the  symmetrophobia  of  the  Egyptians. 
This  court  is  bounded  on  one  side  by  large 
columns  whose  capitals  represent  the  half-opened 
bud  of  the  lotus  ; but  on  the  other  side,  instead 
of  similar  columns  we  find  massive  stone  pillars, 
15  * 


212 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


to  which  are  attached  colossal  statues  of  Ra- 
ineses III.  clothed  with  the  attributes  of  Osiris. 

Ou  entering  this  court  one  faces  the  frontal  of 
the  second  pylon.  The  southern  pier  is  covered 
with  a large  picture.  Ammon  and  Mout  are  on 
one  side  ; on  the  other  is  Rameses  bringing  be- 
fore the  divinities  a group  of  prisoners  ranged 
in  three  rows.  To  judge  by  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  their  costume,  these  prisoners  must 
represent  three  branches  of  the  same  trunk. 
The  lower  group  represents  the  Poulista,  a people 
in  whom  M,  Chabas  recognises  the  Pelasgians, 
and  who,  according  to  another  opinion,  may  he 
taken  for  Philistines,  the  ancestors  of  those  who 
at  a later  period  established  themselves  on  the 
confines  of  Egypt.  The  middle  group  represents 
the  Taanaouna,  who  are  the  Daunians.  Finally, 
in  the  upper  group  are  the  Scliakascha,  or  Siculi, 
whose  name  is  supplied  by  the  inscription  placed 
in  front  of  the  king.  All  these  people,  as  we 
shall  see,  are  inhabitants  of  the  islands  or  of  the 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  who  had  leagued 
themselves  into  a hostile  confederation,  and  whom 
Rameses  succeeded  in  conquering  after  brilliant 
encounters  by  land  and  by  water. 

On  the  northern  pier  is  engraved  a veiy  long 


MEDINET-ABOU — TEMPLE  OF  RAMESES  III.  213 


and  very  precious  inscription  which  has  been 
ably  interpreted  by  M.  de  Rouge.  The  first 
fifteen  lines  are  little  more  than  a tedious  enu- 
meration of  the  titles  accorded  to  the  king.  The 
interest  commences  at  the  sixteenth  line.  Various 
nations  of  Asia,  the  people  of  Kheta,  of  Kati,  of 
Knrkamaska,  of  Aratou,  and  of  Arasa  were  allied 
against  Egypt.  A second  group,  the  Poulista 
(the  Pelasgians),  the  T'akkaraou  (the  Teucrians), 
the  Schakascha  (the  Siculi),  the  Taanaouna  (the 
Daunians),  the  Onascliasclia  (the  Oscans),  all 
maritime  people,  had  joined  the  Asiatic  nations. 
The  encounter  took  place  in  a somewhat  vaguely 
defined  spot,  possibly  one  of  the  mouths  of  the 
Nile.  Victory  crowned  the  efforts  of  Rameses, 
and  Egypt  once  more  escaped  the  danger  of  the 
terrible  invasion  with  which  she  was  threatened. 

The  granite  doorway  which  unites  the  two 
piers  of  the  second  pylon  is  next  passed,  and  a 
vast  court  is  entered,  which,  taken  as  a whole, 
may  be  regarded  as  the  most  valuable  relic  that 
ancient  Egypt  has  bequeathed  to  us.  The  court 
is  completely  surrounded  by  galleries  covered 
with  sculptures  embellished  with  the  most  vivid 
colours.  In  front  of  the  northern  and  southern 
galleries  stand  massive  columns,  their  capitals 


214 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


representing  the  closed  flower  of  the  lotus.  The 
eastern  and  western  galleries  were  supported  b}r 
square  pillars,  against  which  leant  statues  of  the 
king.  Roughly  hewn  shafts  of  sandstone  columns 
encumber  the  centre  of  the  court,  while  five  of 
the  same  columns  still  remain  upright.  These 
are  memorials  of  the  time  when,  Medinet-Abou 
being  a Coptic  town,  this  magnificent  court  had 
been  converted  into  a church.  The  pictures 
which  cover  the  inner  walls  of  the  galleries  are 
so  numerous  that  it  is  impossible  to  describe 
them  all.  To  the  left  on  entering  is  a battle 
scene.  The  visitor  must  now  he  familiar  with 
these  gigantic  figures  of  the  king  galloping  in 
his  chariot  over  enemies  who  fly  in  disorder. 
This  time  the  enemies  are  the  Libou  (Libyans) ; 
low  down  in  the  picture,  with  a simplicity  more 
surprising  than  pleasing,  the  artist  has  repre- 
sented them  tumbling  one  over  the  other.  On 
the  southern  wall  a second  scene  shows  us  Egyp- 
tian princes  and  generals  leading  prisoners  before 
the  victorious  monarch.  The  prisoners,  says  an 
inscription,  number  one  thousand,  and  there 
were  three  thousand  slain.  By  the  side  is  an 
inscription,  unfortunately  in  a had  state  of  pre- 
servation, which  refers  to  the  same  campaign. 


MEDINET-ABOU — TEMPLE  OF  RAMESES  III.  215 


In  tlie  third  picture,  the  king  returns  to  Egypt. 
He  is  preceded  by  several  groups  of  prisoners  in 
chains,  and  is  accompanied  by  the  troops.  A 
fourth  picture  represents  him  entering  Thebes 
and  offering  his  prisoners  to  the  gods  of  the  city. 

These  large  battle  scenes  occupy  the  whole  of 
the  lower  register  of  the  eastern,  southern,  and 
northern  sides  of  the  court.  But  on  the  upper 
register  are  represented  scenes  of  a different 
character,  which  are  no  less  worthy  of  attention. 
The  illustrious  founder  of  Egyptology  describes 
them  so  well  that  wre  cannot  do  better  than  re- 
produce his  words.  “ Bameses,”  says  Cliam- 
pollion  ( Lcttres  ecritcs  d'Egypte,  p.  344  of  the 
1st  edition),  “quits  his  palace,  carried  in  a richly 
decorated  naos,  or  shrine,  borne  by  twelve  ceris 
or  military  chiefs,  whose  heads  are  adorned  with 
ostrich  feathers.  The  monarch,  decorated  with 
all  the  marks  of  his  sovereign  power,  is  seated 
on  an  elegant  throne,  which  golden  images  of 
truth  and  justice  overshadow  with  their  wings; 
the  sphinx,  emblem  of  wisdom  combined  with 
strength,  and  the  lion,  emblem  of  courage,  stand 
near  the  throne,  which  they  seem  to  protect. 
Officers  wave  around  the  naos  the  customary 
flabella  and  fans,  young  children  of  tl^e  sacerdotal 


21G 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


caste  march  near  the  king,  carrying  his  sceptre, 
the  case  for  his  bow,  and  his  other  insignia. 

“ Nine  princes  of  the  royal  blood,  high  func- 
tionaries of  the  sacerdotal  caste,  and  military 
chiefs  follow  the  naos  on  foot,  ranged  in  two 
lines.  Warriors  carry  the  pedestals  and  the 
steps  of  the  naos.  The  procession  is  closed  b}’ 
a body  of  soldiers.  Groups  quite  as  varied  pre- 
cede the  Pharaoh ; a band  of  music,  wherein 
may  be  distinguished  the  flute,  the  trumpet,  the 
drum  and  chorus  singers,  forms  the  head  of  the 
procession;  then  come  the  relatives  and  favourites 
of  the  king,  among  whom  may  he  noticed  several 
high  priests;  and  lastly,  the  eldest  son  of  Rameses, 
second  in  command  of  the  army,  burns  incense 
before  his  father’s  face. 

“ The  king  arrives  at  the  temple  of  Hor'us,  ap- 
proaches the  altar,  pours  out  the  libations  and 
burns  incense ; twenty -two  priests  carry  upon  a 
rich  palanquin  the  statue  of  the  divinity,  which 
advances  surrounded  by  flabella  and  fans  and 
flowering  branches.  The  king,  on  foot,  crowned 
with  the  simple  diadem  of  the  ‘ lower  country,’ 
precedes  the  god,  and  follows  closely  the  white 
hull,  the  living  symbol  of  Ammon-Horus  or  Am- 
mon-Ra,  his  mother’s  consort.  A priest  waves 


MEDINET-ABOU — TEMPLE  OF  RAMESES  III.  217 

incense  before  the  sacred  animal.  The  queen,  the 
spouse  of  Eameses,  witnesses  all  this  religious 
pomp  from  an  elevated  position,  and  whilst  one 
of  the  high  priests  reads  aloud  the  prescribed  in- 
vocation at  the  moment  when  the  sacred  light  of 
the  deity  passes  the  threshold  of  his  temple,  nine- 
teen priests  advance,  carrying  on  their  shoulders 
the  various  sacred  standards,  the  vases,  tables  of 
offerings  and  all  the  utensils  belonging  to  the 
ceremonial ; seven  other  priests  lead  on  the  re- 
ligious procession  bearing  statuettes  on  their 
shoulders ; these  are  the  images  of  the  royal  an- 
cestors and  predecessors  of  Eameses,  who  thus 
participate  in  the  triumph  of  their  descendant.” 
Then  comes  the  scene  of  the  four  birds,  of  which 
we  curtail  the  description.  The  four  birds  are 
genii,  children  of  Osiris  and  patrons  of  the  four 
cardinal  points.  The  high  priest  lets  them  fly, 
in  order  that  they  may  proclaim  to  the  south,  to 
the  north,  to  the  west,  and  to  the  east,  that, 
following  the  example  of  the  god  Horns,  Eameses 
has  crowned  himself  with  the  emblem  of  his  do- 
minion over  the  ‘ Upper  and  Lower  Countries.’ 
“The  last  part  of  the  bas-relief,”  says  Cham- 
pollion,  “ represents  the  king,  crowned  with  the 
psclient,  giving  thanks  to  the  god  in  his  temple. 


218 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


Tlie  monarch,  preceded  by  the  entire  sacerdotal 
body  and  by  the  sacred  music,  is  attended  by  the 
officers  of  his  household.  He  then  cuts  some  ears 
of  corn  with  a golden  sickle  and,  wearing  his  mili- 
tary helmet  as  when  he  left  his  palace,  pours  out 
a libation  and  thus  takes  leave  of  the  god  Am- 
mon-Horus,  who  has  retired  within  his  sanctuary. 
The  queen  is  again  witness  of  the  two  last  cere- 
monies ; the  priest  invokes  the  gods  ; a priestly 
scribe  reads  a long  prayer ; and  the  white  bull 
and  the  images  of  the  ancestral  kings  once  more 
figure  side  by  side  with  the  Pharaoh.” 

The  western  side  of  the  temple  has  been  for 
some  time  the  scene  of  considerable  excavations, 
and  some  idea  may  be  gathered  of  the  enormous 
mass  of  rubbish  that  has  been  cleared  away,  from 
the  fact  that  this  point  was  the  highest  summit 
of  the  mound  formed  by  the  Coptic  village  above 
the  temple.  Unfortunately,  the  works  have  not 
produced  the  hoped-for  results,  as  decapitated 
columns,  empty  chambers,  and  religious  inscrip- 
tions of  a trivial  character  are  all  that  has  been 
brought  to  light.* 

* It  was  in  the  chamber  of  the  north-west  corner  that, 
in  raising  the  flagstones  with  which  it  is  paved,  nearly  a 
thousand  statuettes  in  bronze  were  found,  all  representing 
Osiris,  and  all  more  or  less  mutilated  from  the  legs  down- 


MEDINET-ABOU — TEMPLE  OF  RAMESES  III.  219 

Tlie  vast  amount  of  historical  facts  which  we 
have  just  been  examining  might  lead  one  to  ima- 
gine that  all  efforts  were  exhausted  on  the  interior 
of  the  temple,  and  that  Medinet-Abou  could  have 
very  little  more  to  show  us.  But  this  is  far  from 
being  the  case.  A list  of  fetes  to  be  celebrated 
in  the  sacred  edifice  is  engraved  on  the  south 
side  of  the  external  wall.  We  will,  however, 
pass  this  over  in  silence  as  it  offers  but  little 
interest  to  such  as  do  not  wish  to  go  deeply  into 
the  subject.  But  the  north  side  of  the  external 
wall,  half-buried  though  it  be,  is  like  a gallery  in 
a museum.  Ten  pictures,  symmetrically  arranged, 
describe  the  incidents  of  a war  undertaken  by 
Bameses  in  the  ninth  year  of  his  reign  against  the 
Libyans  and  the  T’akkaraou. 

1st  picture. — Departure  of  the  king  and  of  the 
army  ; the  soldiers  are  in  marching  order.  The 
accoutrements  of  the  troops  should  be  studied. 

2nd  picture. — Grand  battle  and  grand  victory. 
The  enemy  are  the  Libyans  of  therace  of  the  Tama- 
hou.  Like  the  heroes  of  Homer,  the  king  is  fighting 
in  person,  and  the  carnage  is  indescribable. 

wards.  This  is  but  another  proof  that  the  custom  pre- 
vailed of  purifying  the  area  of  a temple  by  strewing  it  with 
diviue  images  buried  underground. 


220 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


3rd  picture. — 12,535  of  tlie  enemy  are  killed  ; 
the  generals  bring  the  prisoners  before  tlie  vic- 
torious king. 

4 tli  picture. — Harangue  of  the  king  to  the 
general  of  the  army.  The  troops  are  underarms, 
read}7  to  march  anew  against  the  enemy.  Many 
curious  details. 

5tli  picture. — Once  more  the  troops  are  setting 
out  and  filing  past.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  texts 
consist  of  only  a series  of  praises  addressed  to 
the  king,  and  of  thanksgivings  to  the  gods. 

6th  picture. — Another  battle  and  another 
victory.  The  enemies  are  the  T'akharaou  whom 
the  king  overthrows.  "Women  and  children  take 
flight  in  chariots  drawn  by  oxen. 

Itli  picture.- — The  march  is  renewed,  and  the 
enemy  passes  a country  infested  with  lions, 
probably  one  of  the  fastnesses  of  Lebanon.  The 
king  has  killed  one  lion  and  wounded  another. 
It  was  probably  somewhere  about  here  that 
Amenophis  III.  killed  the  one  hundred  and  ten 
lions,  which,  on  a scaraboeus  in  the  Boolak 
Museum,  he  boasts  of  having  slain  with  his  own 
hand  during  the  first  ten  years  of  his  reign. 

8th picture. — Here  we  find  the  only  representa- 
tion which  Egypt  affords  of  a naval  combat. 


MEDINET-ABOU TEMPLE  OF  RAMESES  III.  22  L 


The  scene  is  laid  either  close  to  the  coast,  or  at 
the  mouth  of  some  river.  The  fleet  of  the 
T’akkaraou,  reinforced  by  that  of  the  Schardina, 
attacks  the  Egyptian  ships.  In  the  confusion 
that  prevails,  one  of  the  enemy’s  vessels  has  sunk, 
and  is  seen  floating  keel  upwards.  Eameses 
stands  on  the  shore,  and  his  archers  contribute 
to  the  victory  of  the  Egyptian  fleet  by  piercing 
the  enemy  with  their  darts. 

9tli  picture. — The  army  sets  out  for  Egypt,  and 
stops  at  a fortified  place  called  Migdol-en- 
-Rameses-hak-on.  The  dead  are  counted  by  the 
number  of  hands  cut  off  on  the  field  of  battle. 
A long  file  of  prisoners  passes  before  the  king, 
who  harangues  his  sons  and  his  generals. 

10 tli  picture. — Triumphal  return  to  Thebes. 
The  king  gives  thanks  to  the  gods.  Speeches 
from  the  gods,  speeches  from  the  king,  speeches 
even  from  the  prisoners  themselves  who  entreat 
the  king  to  spare  their  lives  that  they  may 
long  celebrate  his  courage  and  valour. 

This  description  of  Medinet-Abou  will  suffice, 
we  trust,  to  show  the  great  importance  of  the 
admirable  monument  which  we  have  just  been 
studying  in  its  most  remarkable  parts.  If  we 
now  seek  to  realise  the  king’s  purpose  in  erecting 


222 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


it,  the  problem  only  admits  of  the  same  solution 
as  in  the  case  of  the  Eameseum.  We  may  rest 
assured  that  the  spot  selected  for  its  site,  border- 
ing at  once  on  the  desert  and  on  the  necropolis,  was 
not  idly  chosen.  We  may  read  therein,  as  it  were, 
an  anxious  thought  for  posterity  and  the  founding 
of  a sort  of  perpetual  reminder  of  the  illustrious 
dead.  It  is  the  memory  of  Raineses  III.,  it  is  his 
very  person  that  lives  at  Medinet-Abou. 

The  Necropolis. — The  necropolis  is  reached 
from  Luxor  by  the  same  route  as  the  temples. 
The  large  square  courts  pierced  on  three  sides 
with  doors  symmetrically  disposed,  which  may 
he  observed  on  the  way  to  Goornah,  are  common 
tombs  not  worth  noticing.  But  on  leaving  the 
temple  of  Goornah  and  following  the  border  of 
cultivated  land,  one  sees  to  the  right  some  ter- 
raced hills  in  front  of  which  the  ground  has 
been  disturbed  by  innumerable  excavations. 
This  is  the  necropolis  called  Drah-abou’l-Neggah, 
undoubtedly  the  most  ancient  in  Thebes.  The 
tombs  mostly  date  from  the  XIth  and  the  XVIIth 
dynasties,  and  from  the  beginning  of  the  XVIIIth. 
It  was  here  that  the  kings  Entef  (XIth  dynasty), 
whose  mummy-cases  are  in  Paris  and  in  London, 
were  found.  Here  also  we  discovered  the  sarco- 


NECROPOLIS — DRAH-ABOU’L-NEGGAH. 


223 


phagus  of  Queen  Aali-Hotep,  with  its  celebrated 
collection  of  jewels,  now  in  the  Boolak  Museum. 
Unfortunately,  there  is  not  a single  tomb  in 
Drah-abou’l-Neggah  which  is  worthy  of  a visit. 
The  wealth  and  pomp  of  that  period  were  all 
expended  on  the  mummies;  and  external  chapels, 
which  moreover  were  of  rare  occurrence,  bore  no 
ornament  whatever. 

Further  towards  the  south  another  part  of 
the  necropolis  is  reached,  quite  different  in  its 
aspect  from  Drah-abouT-Neggah.  This  is  El- 
-Assassif.  At  Drah-abouT-Neggah  the  earth 

disturbed  by  the  excavation  is  yellow  mingled 

» 

with  an  inferior  sort  of  broken  brick,  and  it  is 
only  now  and  then  that  one  comes  upon  a frag- 
ment of  limestone.  But  at  El-Assassif  the  soil 
consists,  so  to  speak,  of  nothing  but  pounded 
limestone.  This  difference  is  accounted  for 
partly  by  the  fact  that  the  rock  out  of  which  the 
tombs  have  been  hollowed  consists  of  a very  fine 
white  limestone,  partly  also  by  the  customs  of 
the  period.  Some  of  the  tombs  of  El-Assassif 
belong  to  the  XIXth  and  XXIInd  dynasties,  and 
especially  to  the  XXXIst,  and  date  therefore 
from  a time  when  a greater  amount  of  luxury 
was  displayed  in  the  ornamentation  of  the 


224 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


exterior  cliapels.  In  some  places  a few  small 
edifices  had  been  constructed  which  are  un- 
fortunately destroyed.  On  the  other  hand 
thick  walls,  also  of  limestone,  which  no  doubt 
served  to  mark  out  the  limits  of  the  reserved 
portions  of  the  necropolis,  are  frequently  met 
with.  All  this  has  given  to  El-Assassif  an  aspect 
sui  generis  which  Drali-abou’l-Neggah  is  far  from 
possessing.  We  may  add  that  the  mummies 
are  found  here,  not  at  the  bottom  of  a deep  well 
as  at  Sakkarah,  but  either  simply  in  the  earth 
itself,  or  in  vaults  constructed  only  a few  feet 
belowr  the  surface.  The  tombs  which  can  still 
he  visited  at  El-Assassif,  however,  are  neither 
numerous  nor  interesting.  It  would  be  impos- 
sible to  describe  their  position  without  the  help 
of  a plan.  The  best  way  is  to  trust  to  the 
guides  who  are  in  the  habit  of  showing  them  to 
travellers. 

The  two  portions  of  the  necropolis  called 
respectively  Scheikli-abd-el-  Goornah,  and  Goornat- 
-Mourdi,  are  found  beyond  that  sort  of  circus  of 
rocks  of  which  El-Assassif  occupies  the  centre. 
Here  the  tombs  are  hollowed  out  in  the  sides  of  the 
rocks  themselves.  Large  square  doorways  open 
here  and  there  upon  the  plain,  and  some  of  them 


NECROPOLIS — THE  TOMB  OF  HOUI.  225 

are  arranged  in  such  regular  order  that  seen 
from  a distance  they  look  like  the  batteries  of  a 
fortress.  Moreover,  an  interest  attaches  to  these 
tombs  which  those  of  El-Assassif  and  Drah- 
-abou’l-Neggali  do  not  possess.  The  arrange- 
ments are,  generally  speaking,  on  the  same  plan 
as  at  Sakkarah  and  Beni-Iiassan.  A chamber 
cut  in  the  rock  takes  the  place  of  the  exterior 
chapel,  where  the  survivors  assemble  to  do 
honour  to  the  defunct.  A well  opens  out  of  that 
chamber,  giving  access  to  a mortuary  vault 
closed  to  all  eternity.  The  decorations  afford  in 
some  instances  materials  of  most  interesting 
study,  especially  when  episodes  in  the  life  of  the 
defunct  have  furnished  the  subject.  Thus  the 
tomb  of  an  individual  called  Hou'i,  a functionary 
of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty,  contains  some  paintings 
which,  unfortunately,  are  rapidly  fading  away, 
but  which  are  none  the  less  deserving  of  being 
studied.  Hou'i,  under  the  title  of  prince  of 
Kouscli,  had  been  governor  general  of  the  Soudan, 
and  one  of  the  pictures  represents  him  in  the  act 
of  arriving  to  take  possession  of  his  government. 
People  of  every  shade  of  complexion  and  of 
every  race  present  themselves  before  him.  Some 
are  negroes  with  distinctive  features  strongly 
16 


226 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


marked  ; others  are  of  tire  negro  type  but  brown 
in  colour ; others,  also  copper-coloured,  have 
more  northerly  features  ; there  are  also  men  of  a 
red  tint  like  the  Egyptians,  mingled  with  white- 
complexioned  women.  Giraffes  and  oxen  with 
long  horns  terminating  in  the  form  of  human 
hands  are  brought  before  Houi,  who  also  receives 
rings  of  gold,  ingots  of  copper,  skins  of  wild 
animals,  long-handled  fans  and  ostrich  feathers. 
Another  picture  shows  Houi  returning  from  a 
mission  into  the  country  of  the  Rotennou  (the 
Assyrians)  and  presenting  to  the  king,  seated 
on  his  throne,  the  ambassadors  of  that  nation', 
whose  dress  consists  of  a large  robe  of  gaudy 
colours  rolled  several  times  round  their  body. 
Of  their  slaves,  naked  to  the  waist,  some  are 
red,  some  white.  All  wear  a pointed  heard. 
The  gifts  which  they  bring  to  the  king  consist  of 
horses,  lions,  ingots  of  precious  metals,  and  vases 
of  gold  and  silver  curiously  fashioned.  This  one 
example  suffices  to  show  the  interest  that  at- 
taches to  the  tombs  of  Seheikh-abd-el-Goornah 
and  of  Goornat-Mourai,  which  are  almost  without 
exception  monuments  of  the  XVIIIth  and  XIXth 
dynasties. 

The  visit  to  the  tombs  of  the  southern  hills 


THE  NECROPOLIS  OF  EL-ASSASSIF. 


227 


being  over,  we  retrace  our  steps,  and,  bending 
slightly  to  the  left,  proceed  to  Deir-el-Bahari. 

On  our  way,  we  cross  diagonally  the  western 
extremity  of  El-Assassif.  At  the  bottom  of  a 
sort  of  ravine,  the  guides  point  out  the  en- 
trance to  a large  tomb,  that  of  Petamenophis ; 
but  no  one  should  venture  to  enter  it  who  is 
likely  to  be  incommoded  by  the  overpowering 
odour  of  bats  which  it  exhales.  A little  farther 
on,  a sort  of  large  gateway  in  crude  bricks 
attracts  attention  by  the  singular  disposition  of 
the  bricks  in  the  archway.*  It  is  difficult  to 
master  thoroughly  the  part  of  the  necropolis  to 
which  this  gateway  belongs,  because,  plundered 
in  turn  by  the  dealers  in  antiquities  and  the 
owners  of  the  adjacent  limekilns,  it  has  suffered 
more  during  the  first  half  of  the  present  century 
than  during  the  two  or  three  thousand  previous 
years  of  its  existence.  All  that  we  may  venture 
to  assert  is,  that  in  the  western  corner  of  El- 
-Assassif  the  most  ancient  tombs  belong  proba- 
bly to  the  XVIIIth  dynasty,  and  the  most  modern 

* The  hricks  are  disposed  transversely,  as  in  the  arches 
of  the  Holhorn  Viaduct,  where  this  arrangement  was 
supposed  to  constitute  a novelty,  as  well  as  a marvel  of 
engineering. 

16* 


228 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


may  with  some  show  of  peason  be  assigned  to 
the  immediate  successors  of  Alexander. 

Deir-el-Bahari.  — The  temple  of  Deir-el- 
-Bahari  occupies  the  centre  of  the  semicircle 
which  encloses  El-Assassif.  It  lies  close  against 
some  fine  perpendicular  rocks,  which,  on  the 
opposite  or  north-western  side,  rundown  into  the 
valley  of  Bab-el-Molouk.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  as  to  the  origin  of  this  temple.  Deir-el- 
-Bahari  was  raised  to  the  glory  of  Queen  Hatasou 
just  as  Medinet-Abou  was  raised  to  the  glory  of 
Bameses  III.  The  site  of  these  commemorative 
temples  was  chosen  from  religious  motives  pecu- 
liar to  Egypt,  to  which  there  is  no  need  again 
to  allude.  The  walls  of  Deir-el-Bahari  are 
covered  with  various  cartouches  which  at  first 
sight  are  calculated  to  cause  a certain  confusion 
in  the  visitor's  mind.  The  fact  is  Hatasou  took 
to  herself  different  names  according  as  she  either 
shared  the  throne  with  her  two  brothers  Thoth- 
mes  II.  and  Thotlimes  III.,  or  as  she  subse- 
quently governed  with  the  title  of  Ptegent  in  the 
name  of  the  latter  of  these  two  princes,  or 
again,  as  she  eventually  reigned  alone  in  her 
own  name.  Science  has  not  yet,  we  think,  said 
its  last  word  on  the  subject  of  these  different 


DEIR-EL-BAHAEI. 


229 


names,  and  perhaps  the  solution  of  the  problem 
may  be  found  in  some  inscriptions  lately  brought 
to  light  in  the  temple  we  are  now  examining. 

Deir-el-Bahari  was  constructed  on  a singular 
plan,  and  even  from  a distance  it  bears  no  re- 
semblance to  any  of  the  other  temples  of  Egypt. 
It  was  preceded  by  a long  alley  of  sphinxes,  now 
utterly  destroyed,  and  by  two  obelisks  of  which 
nothing  at  present  remains  but  the  base.  Beyond 
these,  it  stretched  out  in  terraces  as  far  as  the 
mountain,  one  court  leading  up  to  another  by 
easy  ascents.  It  was  built  of  a fine  white  lime- 
stone, and  one  might  well  wonder  that  a single 
block  of  Avail  should  remain  standing,  if  one  did 
not  remember  that  El-Assassif,  by  the  abundance 
of  its  materials  and  its  proximity  to  the  plain, 
offered  to  the  enterprising  plunderer  much  greater 
facilities  of  spoil  than  could  be  obtained  at  Deir- 
-el-Bahari.  Moreover,  it  is  probable  that  this 
temple  was  soon  abandoned.  Even  as  early  as 
the  XXIInd  dynasty  it  was  already  used  as  a 
cemetery,  and  in  one  of  its  chambers  were  found, 
piled  up  one  above  the  other  almost  to  the  ceiling, 
mummies  of  the  Grecian  period,  lying  over  rows 
of  other  mummies,  of  AA'hich  the  most  ancient 
probably  belonged  to  the  XXVIth  dynasty. 


230 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


History  is  not  forgotten  at  Deir-el-Bahari,  any 
more  than  at  the  Rameseum  and  at  Medinet- 
-Abou.  But  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  determine 
■whether  the  fragments  of  pictures  one  meets 
with  scattered  here  and  there  form  part  of  any 
one  common  theme.  Reaching  the  temple  from 
the  east,  that  is  nearly  at  its  lowest  part,  we 
come  upon  the  first  of  these  bas-reliefs.  Troops 
are  marching,  preceded  by  trumpets  and  officers ; 
the  soldiers  are  fully  equipped,  some  carrying  in 
their  hands  branches  of  palm  trees ; them  stan- 
dards are  surmounted  by  the  cartouches  of 
Hatasou.  Evidently  we  have  before  our  eyes 
the  triumphal  entry  of  troops  returning  from  a 
campaign.  Further  on,  almost  at  the  extremity 
of  the  temple,  and  only  a few  steps  from  the 
granite  gateway  which  forms  so  conspicuous 
an  object  from  all  parts  of  the  surrounding  plain, 
is  another  picture  somewhat  more  distinct ; but 
unfortunately  the  final  portion  only  remains, 
Hatasou  had  sent  her  troops  on  a campaign 
into  Arabia,  a country  celebrated  for  its  per- 
fumes, its  spice-bearing  and  odoriferous  trees, 
its  gold,  its  ebony,  and  its  wrought  fabrics  of 
every  sort.  The  expedition  was  to  lay  in  a stock 
of  such  treasures  as  it  could  collect  together, 


DEIR-EL-BAHARI. 


231 


and  to  bring  them  back  to  Thebes  to  be  stored 
in  the  temple  of  Ammon.  No  obstacle,  it  would 
seem,  checked  the  progress  of  the  detachment 
sent  for  this  purpose  to  the  shores  of  the  Red 
Sea.  The  principal  inhabitants  of  the  country 
embarked  more  or  less  willingly  on  the  Egyptian 
fleet  to  lay  at  the  feet  of  the  magnificent  Regent 
substantial  proofs  of  their  submission.  Such 
are  the  principal  episodes  of  that  campaign  as 
described  in  the  bas-reliefs  of  Deir-el-Bahari. 
The  scene  is  laid  on  the  sea-shore,  the  trans- 
parency of  the  water  naively  allowing  the  fishes 
to  be  perceived.  Some  Egyptian  soldiers  are 
drawn  up  on  the  coast.  The  inhabitants  of  the 
Pount  country  quit  their  dwellings,  whose  white 
roofs  have  the  form  of  a cupola,  and  bring  the 
produce  of  the  soil  and  of  their  industry.  Some 
are  piling  up  the  scented  gum  into  enormous 
heaps,  others  bring  entire  trees,  the  roots  of 
which  are  tied  up  in  couffes  or  frail  baskets. 
The  clothing  of  these  individuals,  their  weapons, 
and  the  colour  of  their  skins,  deserve  especial 
study.  The  Egyptian  fleet  is  drawn  up  close 
by,  and  the  loading  of  the  ships  is  proceeded 
with.  Bales  of  goods,  earthen  jars,  live  animals, 
trees— everything  is  carefully  arranged  in  its 


232 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


appointed  place.  The  ships  are  propelled  both 
by  sail  and  by  oars.  Thebes  at  last  is  reached, 
and  the  different  items  are  enumerated.  There 
is  quite  a procession  of  cynocephalous  monkeys, 
panthers,  giraffes,  and  short-horned  oxen  ; while 
collars,  chains,  bracelets,  daggers  and  hatchets, 
are  all  being  classed  in  order.  Ammon  is  witness 
of  the  scene,  and  addresses  his  congratulations 
to  the  Queen  Eegent.  In  a side  chamber  to  the 
south,  another  subject  is  presented.  We  have 
now  no  longer  the  green  waters  of  the  Red  Sea, 
but  the  blue  waters  of  the  Nile.  In  the  lowest 
compartment  of  the  picture,  more  troops  are 
seen  marching.  But,  interesting  as  they  are, 
one  cannot  be  sure  whether  these  episodes  refer 
to  the  same  campaign  which  has  been  so 
minutety  described  on  the  walls  of  the  principal 
chamber.  Close  by,  a fine  doorway,  with  many 
ruins  heaped  up  before  it,  leads  into  a chamber, 
the  colours  of  which  have  retained  all  their 
vividness.  On  each  side  of  the  passage  leading 
to  this  chamber,  an  admirable  sculpture  repre- 
sents a royal  personage,  who  quenches  his  thirst 
with  the  milk  of  Hathor  under  the  form  of  the 
most  beautiful  cow  that  the  Egyptian  bas-reliefs 
can  show  us. 


BAB-EL-MOLOUK. 


233 


Bab-el-Molouk. — Bab-el-Molouk  is  the  St. 
Denis  of  the  kings  of  the  XIXth  and  the  XXth 
dynasties.  A bifurcation  of  the  road  leads  into 
another  valley  situated  a little  further  to  the 
west,  where  the  last  kings  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty 
are  interred.  The  former  only  of  these  two 
valleys  is  usually  visited,  being  the  burial  place 
of  the  kings  of  the  XIXth  and  XXth  dynasties. 
The  path  which  leads  to  it  may,  indeed,  be 
called  the  path  of  the  dead.  Not  a blade  of 
grass  is  to  be  seen ; all  is  sad  and  gloomy  as  if 
burnt  up  with  some  internal  fire  which  has  split 
and  blackened  the  rocks.  The  distance  from 
the  banks  of  the  Nile  is  nearly  four  miles. 

The  “ Tombs  of  the  Kings  ” at  Bab-el-Molouk 
are  all  excavated  out  of  the  solid  rock,  and  con- 
sist of  inclined  passages  which  penetrate  more 
or  less  deeply  into  the  mountain  itself.  When 
once  the  royal  mummy  had  been  deposited  in  its 
resting-place,  the  entrance  was  walled  up,  and 
the  surrounding  rock  was  levelled  so  as  to  leave 
no  external  trace  of  the  situation  of  the  tomb. 
This  shows  that  the  spirit  in  which  these  royal 
monuments  were  erected  is  totally  different  from 
that  which  regulated  the  construction  of  all  other 
tombs.  In  the  case  of  these  royal  sepultures, 


284 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


the  ordinary  external  chamber  where  the  sur- 
vivors assembled  to  do  honour  to  the  memory  of 
the  dead  were  represented  by  the  large  com- 
memorative edifices  erected  at  the  entrance  of 
the  necropolis.  Of  these  the  most  important, 
being  solidly  constructed,  have  alone  stood  the 
test  of  ages.  The  number  of  tombs  open  in  the 
principal  valley,  up  to  the  year  1835,  was  twenty- 
one  ; during  our  explorations  the  number  has 
reached  twenty-five,  but  they  are  not  all  kings’ 
tombs.  Princes  and  even  functionaries  of  a 
high  rank  were  admitted  to  the  honour  of  seeing 
their  tombs  excavated  by  the  side  of  those  of  the 
sovereigns  of  their  country.  “Above  the  Mem- 
nonium,”  says  Strabo,  “ are  some  tombs  of 
kings  cut  in  the  rock  in  the  form  of  grottoes, 
about  forty  in  number,  admirably  wrought,  and 
well  worthy  of  a visit.”  On  the  face  of  this 
passage,  it  was  surmised  that  well-directed  ex- 
cavations in  Bab-el-Molouk  might  lead  to  the 
discovery  of  the  fifteen  missing  tombs.  But  it 
may  be  that  Strabo  included  in  his  reckoning 
the  tombs  of  the  Valley  of  the  Queens.  Be  that 
as  it  may,  from  Amenophis  III.,  with  whom  the 
series  begins  (as  the  first  kings  of  the  XVIIIth 
dynasty  are  not  at  Bab-el-Molouk),  down  to  the 


BAB-EL-MOLOUK. 


235 


last  king  of  the  XXth  dynasty,  there  is  no 
prince  of  any  note  missing  except  Horus.  Now, 
as  Horus  is  the  last  sovereign  of  the  XVIIIth 
dynasty,  his  tomb  is  more  likely  to  be  found  in 
the  Valley  of  the  West,  and  we  are  strongly 
inclined  to  think  that  excavations,  however 
vigorously  carried  on  at  Bab-el-Molouk,  would 
not  be  rewarded  by  results  commensurate  wTith 
the  labour  which  the  remoteness  of  the  spot 
and  the  difficulty  of  supplying  the  workmen  with 
water  must  necessarily  entail.  The  Valley  of 
the  West  is  alone  worth  exploring,  pick-axe  in 
hand ; for  the  kings  of  the  XATIIIth  dynasty 
whose  tombs  are  yet  unknown  might  be  dis- 
covered there. 

Such  travellers  as  do  not  make  arclifeology 
their  special  study  may  content  themselves 
with  visiting  the  four  following  “ Tombs  of  the 
Kings  ” : — 

1°.  Tomb  of  Sethi  I.,  commonly  called  Belzoni's 
Tomb.  This  is  the  most  magnificent  of  all  the 
Tombs  of  Bab-el-Molouk  ; by  its  grandeur  and 
the  profusion  of  sculptures  with  which  it  is 
adorned,  it  eclipses  all  others.  It  was  dis- 
covered in  1817  byBelzoni.  It  had  already  been 
violated,  but  still  not  a single  bas-relief  was 


236 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


then  missing  from  its  walls,  and  its  pictures  yet 
retained  their  original  freshness.  The  visitor, 
however,  will  soon  perceive  to  what  sad  mutila- 
tions it  has  since  been  subjected.  Rumour 
attributes  these  acts  of  vandalism  to  certain  ex- 
plorers of  Egjqfi  who  must,  however,  be  above 
the  reach  of  such  suspicion  by  virtue  of  the  very 
services  they  have  rendered  to  Egyptology.  It 
is  more  correct  to  say  that  that  desecration  of 
one  of  the  most  valuable  monuments  of  Egypt  is 
the  work  of  dealers  in  antiquities,  or  even  of  the 
tourists  themselves.  The  fact  is  that  the  latter 
in  their  recklessness  purchase  almost  at  any 
price  relics  which,  after  all,  are  simply  the  pro- 
ceeds of  an  irreparable  wrong  done  to  science. 

Immediately  on  entering  the  tomb,  the  visitor 
finds  himself  actually  transported  into  a new 
world.  The  almost  joyous  pictures  of  the  Sak- 
karah  and  Beni-Hassan  tombs  have  altogether 
disappeared.  The  defunct  is  no  more  to  be  seen 
at  home,  in  the  midst  of  his  family.  No  more 
making  of  furniture;  no  more  building  of  ships; 
no  more  extensive  farm-yards,  with  cattle,  oxen, 
antelopes,  wild  goats,  geese,  ducks,  demoiselle 
cranes,  marching  in  procession  before  the 
stewards.  All  has  become,  so  to  speak,  fan- 


BAB-EL-MOLOUK — BELZONl’s  TOMB. 


237 


tastic  and  chimerical.  Even  the  gods  them- 
selves assume  strange  forms.  Long  serpents 
glide  hither  and  thither  round  the  rooms,  or 
stand  erect  against  the  doorways.  Some  con- 
victed malefactors  are  being  decapitated  and 
others  are  precipitated  into  the  flames.  Well 
might  a visitor  feel  a kind  of  horror  creeping 
over  him  if  he  did  not  realise  that  after  all,  under- 
neath all  these  strange  representations  lies  the 
most  consoling  of  all  dogmas,  that  which  vouch- 
safes eternal  happiness  to  the  soul  after  the 
many  trials  of  this  life.  Such  in  fact  is  the  mean- 
ing of  the  pictures  which  adorn  the  walls  of  this 
tomb.  It  has  been  said  that  before  according 
to  their  kings  the  honours  of  burial,  the  Egyp- 
tians passed  judgment  upon  them.  This  legend 
must  of  course  be  understood  in  an  allegorical 
sense.  The  judgment  of  the  soul  after  being 
separated  from  the  body,  and  the  many  trials 
which  it  will  be  called  upon  to  overcome  by  the 
aid  only  of  such  virtues  as  it  has  evinced  while 
on  earth,  constitute  the  subject-matter  of  the 
almost  endless  representations  which  cover  the 
tomb,  from  the  entrance  to  the  extreme  end  of 
the  last  chamber.  The  serpents  standing  erect 
over  each  portal,  darting  out  venom,  are  the 


238 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


guardians  of  the  gates  of  heaven — the  soul  can- 
not pass  unless  justified  by  works  of  piety  and 
benevolence.  The  long  texts  displayed  over 
other  parts  of  the  walls  are  magnificent  hymns 
to  which  the  soul  gives  utterance  in  honour  of 
the  divinity  whose  glory  and  greatness  it  thus 
celebrates.  When  once  the  dead  has  been 
adjudged  worthy  of  life  eternal,  these  ordeals 
are  at  an  end  ; he  becomes  part  of  the  divine 
essence,  and,  henceforward  a pure  spirit,  he 
wanders  over  the  vast  regions  where  the  stars 
for  ever  shine.  Thus  the  tomb  is  only  the 
emblem  of  the  voyage  of  the  soul  to  its  eternal 
abode.  The  soul  has  no  sooner  left  the  body 
than  we  are  called  upon  from  room  to  room  to 
witness  its  progress  as  it  appears  before  the 
gods  and  becomes  gradually  purified,  until  at 
last  in  the  grand  hall  at  the  end  of  the  tomb  we 
are  present  at  its  final  admission  into  that  life 
“ which  a second  death  shall  never  reach.” 
When  Belzoni  discovered  the  tomb,  a fine  sar- 
cophagus in  alabaster  stood  in  the  furthest  cham- 
ber, biit  this  was  subsequently  carried  away  to 
England,  and  is  now  in  Sir  John  Soane’s  Mu- 
seum. In  the  centre  of  this  same  chamber  is  a 
passage  which  penetrates  some  distance  into  the 


BAB-EL-MOLOUK — BRUCE’S  TOMB. 


239 


ground.  The  tomb  was  to  have  extended  further 
in  that  direction,  but  whether  Sethi  died  before  it 
could  be  finished,  or  whether,  as  was  more  pro- 
bably the  case,  a layer  of  argillaceous  marl  was 
encountered  which  offered  serious  obstacles  to 
further  progress,  this  passage  was  discontinued, 
and  its  entrance  out  of  the  chamber  was  hidden 
by  a paving  stone  over  which  the  sarcophagus 
was  finally  deposited. 

2°.  Tomb  of  Rameses  III.,  commonly  called 
Bruce's  Tomb,  or  the  Tomb  of  the  Harpists.  If 
Sethi’s  tomb  is  remarkable  for  the  perfection 
of  its  sculptures  and  the  beauty  of  the  models 
which  it  affords  to  the  student  of  art,  that  of 
Eameses  III.,  on  the  contrary,  is  mean,  and  un- 
worthy of  the  hero  of  Medinet-Abou,  and  yet  the 
nature  of  the  subjects  is  extremely  interesting. 
Towards  the  middle  of  the  tomb  and  on  either 
side  of  the  two  first  passages  are  some  chambers 
which  merit  attention.  The  most  varied  scenes, 
with  boats,  household  furniture  and  utensils, 
coats  of  arms,  hows,  arrows,  and  pikes,  are  re- 
presented here.  One  of  these  pictures,  treated 
with  a breadth  of  style  not  to  be  found  in  the 
other  parts  of  the  tomb,  is  that  of  the  celebrated 
harpists,  already  so  well  known  by  the  many 


240 


MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


copies  which  have  been  made  of  them.  The  name 
of  Bruce's  Tomb  was  given  to  the  tomb  of  Ram- 
eses  III.  in  memory  of  the  traveller  of  that  name 
who  was  the  first  to  visit  it  and  to  make  it  known 
to  the  world. 

On  entering  the  tomb  it  soon  becomes  apparent 
that  the  original  plan  was  departed  from,  and 
that  the  entrance  passage  instead  of  continuing 
in  a straight  line  suddenly  bears  to  the  right. 
This  is  owing  to  the  carelessness  with  which  the 
Egyptians  excavated  their  tombs.  The  architect 
entrusted  with  the  piercing  of  the  tomb  of  Ram- 
eses  had  in  fact  taken  his  measure  so  badly  that 
a few  yards  from  the  entrance  he  stumbled  upon 
an  adjoining  tomb  which  he  was  obliged  to  avoid 
by  modifying  his  original  design. 

In  the  principal  chamber  of  the  tomb  formerly 
existed  a sarcophagus  in  pink  granite,  cut  in  the 
form  of  a royal  cartouche.  This  was  carried 
away  by  Mr.  Salt ; the  lower  part  is  at  the  Louvre 
and  the  cover  is  at  Cambridge,  in  the  Fitz william 
Museum. 

Many  Greek  graffiti  are  found  in  the  tomb  of 
Rameses  III.  This  feature,  however,  is  not 
peculiar  to  the  subterranean  tomb  we  are  now 
considering.  Many  other  sepulchres  are  covered 


BAB-EL-MOLOuK. 


241 


with  similar  inscriptions,  and  often  in  still  greater 
numbers.  This  shows  that  the  tombs  of  Bab-el- 
-Molouk  were  visited  by  strangers  even  as  far 
back  as  the  times  of  the  Ptolemies ; these,  how- 
ever, could  only  he  the  tombs  of  which  the  roj'al 
mummies  had  already  been  violated  and  dis- 
persed by  Cambyses,  a circumstance  which,  in 
the  eyes  of  the  Egyptian,  entirely  took  away  the 
sacred  character  of  these  monuments. 

3°.  Tomb  of  Sethi  II.  This  tomb,  which  is 
situated  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  valley  to  the 
west,  possesses  nothing  worthy  of  attention  ex- 
cept some  pictures  clumsily  sculptured  in  relief 
which  are  seen  to  the  right  and  to  the  left  on 
entering.  The  eye  which  has  grown  accustomed 
to  the  delicacy  of  the  sculptures  of  the  tomb  of 
Sethi  I.  will  not  easily  become  reconciled  to  the 
roundness  of  style  of  these  sculptures,  however 
attractive  they  may  appear  at  first  sight. 

4°.  Tomb  of  Rameses  IV.  This  differs  from  the 
others  by  its  width,  the  high  pitch  of  its  roof,  and 
the  very  slight  inclination  of  its  floor ; it  might 
be  visited,  so  to  speak,  on  horseback.  At  the  end, 
lies  the  granite  sarcophagus  of  gigantic  propor- 
tions. The  insipid  paintings  of  this  tomb,  how- 
ever, and  its  lifeless  sculptures  can  hardly  prove 
17 


242  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

of  much  interest  after  Belzoni’s  tomb,  especially 
as  they  are  covered  with  a mass  of  Greek  graffiti 
which  make  them  still  more  indistinct. 

To  such  travellers  as  are  not  already  satisfied 
with  the  inspection  of  the  four  grand  tombs 
we  have  just  described  we  would  point  out  the 
Tomb  of  Raineses  VI.,  which,  judging  by  the 
testimony  of  the  graffiti  found  in  the  interior, 
was,  for  some  unknown  reason,  designated  by 
the  ancients  the  Tomb  of  Memnon.  It  is  re- 
markable for  the  astronomical  representations  on 
its  ceiling.  The  tomb  of  Rameses  IX.  also  pos- 
sesses a certain  interest.  The  amount  of  time 
which  the  artists  must  have  spent  in  the  de- 
coration of  the  walls  is  something  appalling. 
In  the  strange  pictures  where  the  principle  of 
generation  plays  so  large  a part  one  should  only 
see  a forcible  and  energetic  application  of  those 
ideas  of  resurrection  after  death  and  of  the  im- 
mortality promised  to  the  deceased  which  per- 
vade this  tomb.  The  tomb  of  Rameses  YI.  is 
the  N°  9 of  Wilkinson ; that  of  Rameses  IX. 
is  called  N?  6 ; and  it  is  under  these  numbers 
that  they  are  usually  pointed  out  to  travellers 
by  the  guides. 

There  are  three  routes  to  choose  from  in 


BAB-EL-MOLOUK. 


243 


leaving  Bab-el-Molouk.  Tourists  who  have  but 
little  time  to  spare  will  return  by  the  way  they 
came,  that  route  being  the  most  direct.  If  time 
permit,  the  path  which  ascends  the  mountain 
maybe  taken;  and  the  summit  once  reached,  the 
descent,  which  is  rather  steep  and  available  only 
for  pedestrians,  may  be  made  either  to  the  east 
or  to  the  south.  The  former  path  leads  by 
Deir-el-Bahari  to  El  Assassif ; the  latter,  after  a 
rather  long  detour,  comes  out  behind  Medinet- 
-Abou,  and  thus  affords  the  opportunity  of  revisit- 
ing that  temple,  as  well  as  the  Rameseum  and 
the  temple  of  Goornah. 


V.— ESNEH. 

Miles 

From  Luxor  to  Erment  ... 

9 

,,  Erment  to  Esneh  ... 

...  27 

From  Luxor  to  Esneh 

3G 

From  Boolak  to  Esneh,  500  miles. 


The  temple  of  Esneh  is  situated  in  the  middle 
of  the  town.  The  only  part  that  is  now  visible 
is  the  hypostyl  hall  which  has  been  cleared  out 
to  the  pavement.  It  is  said  that  other  parts  of 
the  temple  still  exist  almost  intact  under  the 
houses  in  the  town  which  effectually  conceal 
them  from  view.  According  to  another  account, 
17  * 


244 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


Champollion  himself  visited  the  sanctuary  where 
he  recognised  the  name  of  Thothmes  III.  ; but 
these  statements  are  not  sufficiently  authenticated. 
Be  that  as  it  may,  the  large  portico  or  entrance- 
hall  supported  hy  columns  is  all  that  is  now  to 
be  seen  of  the  temple  of  Esneh. 

The  facade  and  columns  of  this  portico  are  of 
the  Boman  epoch.  Here  one  meets  with  the 
cartouches  of  Claudius,  Domitian,  Commodus, 
Septimius  Severus,  Caracalla  and  Geta.  Further 
in  the  style  is  Grecian  and  can  he  traced  to 
Ptolemy  Pliilometor.  The  sculptures  in  this 
temple  are  of  the  very  worst  execution,  and  the 
inscriptions  are  so  spoiled  with  the  forced  mean- 
ings of  letters,  with  puns  and  double  entendre, 
that  it  requires  a very  close  attention  and  special 
aptitude  to  guess  the  exact  sense  which  lies 
hidden  under  these  wretched  hieroglyphs.  And 
yet  the  capitals  of  columns,  through  their  coat 
of  black  smoke,  show  a careful  and  delicate 
workmanship  and  a purity  of  form  which  at  first 
sight  one  is  surprised  to  meet  with  in  a temple 
of  this  period.  The  fact  is,  architecture  did  not 
follow  engraving  and  sculptime  in  their  rapid 
downfall.  Indeed,  whilst  almost  from  the  advent 
of  the  Ptolemies  engraving  and  sculpture  had 


ESNEH. 


245 


begun  to  decline,  as  if  the  Greeks  could  not 
accommodate  themselves  to  the  conventionalities 
and  somewhat  unnatural  forms  with  which  tra- 
dition had  trammelled  both  arts,  architecture, 
on  the  contrary,  received  a fresh  impetus  and 
gained  materially  in  freedom  of  style.  Although 
the  principle  of  monolithic  architraves  was  not  to 
be  given  up  at  once,  so  as  to  allow  of  the  space 
between  the  columns  being  widened,  yet  the 
column  itself  became  more  graceful  and  rose 
more  boldly  to  the  ceiling  ; and  it  was  especially 
in  the  decoration  of  the  capitals  that  the  im- 
provement was  felt.  Doubtless  the  lovely  group 
of  full-blown  lotus  of  which  the  capitals  of  the 
columns  at  Pliihe,  for  instance,  afford  such 
striking  examples,  is  already  in  bud  at  Medinet- 
-Abou  and  at  Ivarnak.  But  these  ancient  forms 
were  modified  and  modernised  under  the  Greeks, 
and  new  ones  created.  In  short,  the  Greeks 
allowed  the  grand  traditional  art  of  sculpture  in 
relief  to  perish  in  their  hands,  almost  from  their 
arrival  in  Egypt ; but,  on  the  other  hand,  archi- 
tecture, being  less  hieratic  in  its  character,  took 
a fresh  start  from  that  same  period  ; for  it  was 
only  under  the  Greek  dynasties  that  a form  of 
column  began  to  appear  which  no  longer  seemed 


246 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


crushed  under  its  architraves,  together  with  that 
form  of  capital  with  curiously  interlaced  lines  of 
which  the  pronaos  at  Esneh  offers  some  remark- 
able specimens. 

VI.— EDFOU. 

Miles 

From  Esneh  to  El-Kab  ...  ...  ...  20 

„ El-Kab  to Edfou  ...  ...  ...  12 

From  Esneh  to  Edfou  ...  ...  ...  32 

From  Boolak  to  Edfou,  532  miles. 

Between  Esneh  and  Edfou  the  only  spot  worth 
stopping  at  is  El-Kab,  the  ancient  Eileithyias, 
or  the  “ city  of  Lucina  ” — a place  famous  for  its 
grottoes  and  for  a very  small  temple  of  the 
XYIIIth  dynasty,  built  in  the  plain,  about  two 
miles  away  from  the  river.  This  was  formerly 
a strategical  point,  being  situated  at  the  entrance 
of  the  mountain-gorge  down  which  the  Herouscha 
(the  Bisharees  of  the  present  day)  were  enabled 
to  make  frequent  inroads  into  the  Egyptian 
territory,  as  recorded  in  the  inscriptions  of  the 
time.  A fortress  had  therefore  been  erected  here, 
and  its  ramparts  may  still  be  seen.  It  was  built 
of  crude  bricks,  and  probably  dated  from  the 
ancient  empire. 

The  Temple  of  Edfou  is  one  of  those  monu- 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  EDFOU. 


247 


ments  which  speak  for  themselves,  and  to  which 
no  description  can  do  justice.  Its  magnificent 
pylon  and  encircling  wall  are  unique  in  Egypt. 
As  for  the  temple  itself,  no  one  can  fail  to  be 
struck  with  its  close  resemblance  to  that  of  Den- 
derah  in  its  general  plan,  if  not  in  its  architec- 
tural details.  The  excavation  of  Edfou  is  the 
most  extensive  archteological  work  ever  executed 
under  the  auspices  of  H.H.  the  Khedive.  A few 
years  ago,  the  modern  village  had  invaded  the 
temple,  its  very  terraces  being  covered  over  with 
dwellings,  stables,  and  storehouses  of  every  kind. 
In  the  interior  the  chambers  were  filled  with  rub- 
bish almost  to  the  ceiling.  The  amount  of  time 
and  trouble  expended  on  the  excavations  will 
he  realised  on  entering  the  temple,  where  every 
single  line  of  inscriptions  has  now  become 
perfectly  accessible  to  the  traveller  and  the 
antiquarian. 

The  Temple  of  Edfou  was  founded  by  Ptolemy 
IV.  Pliilopator,  who  constructed  the  sanctuary 
as  well  as  the  surrounding  chambers,  the  chapel, 
and,  generally  speaking,  the  whole  of  the  further- 
most part  of  the  temple  properly  so  called.  The 
decoration  of  some  of  the  inner  chambers  was  the 
work  of  Ptolemy  VI.  Philometor.  The  hypostyl 


248 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


hall,  which  forms  a sort  of  monumental  frontage 
to  the  edifice,  was  constructed  by  Philometor  and 
Ptolemy  IX  Euergetes  II.  The  outer  passage 
bears  on  one  side  the  names  of  the  same  Euer- 
getes, and  on  the  other  those  of  Ptolemy  XI 
Alexander ; lastly,  the  pylon  was  decorated, 
if  not  actually  constructed,  under  the  reign  of 
Ptolemy  XIII  Dionysos. 

Seme  curious  inscriptions, which  cover  a portion 
of  the  sub-basement,  deserve  notice.  They  inform 
us  that  each  chamber  had  its  name,  so  that  no- 
thing would  be  easier  than  to  draw  up  in  hiero- 
glyphs the  topographical  plan  of  the  edifice. 
The  dimensions  of  all  the  chambers  are  also  given 
in  cubits  and  in  subdivisions  of  cubits,  and  as  we 
are  able  to  refer  to  the  chambers  themselves,  we 
thus  possess  an  exact  and  valuable  standard  of 
comparison  between  the  ancient  and  modern 
Egyptian  measures.  Moreover,  the  architect  of 
the  temple,  whose  name  was  Ei-em-hotep  Oer- 
-si-Phtah  ( Imouthes , the  great  son  of  Phtah)  has 
put  his  name  to  his  work.  Nor  must  we  omit  to 
mention  that  another  inscription  tells  us  that  the 
temple,  begun  under  Philopator,  finished  under 
Euergetes  II.,  was  completed,  after  interruptions 
caused  by  wars,  in  ninety-five  years  ; which  state- 


THE  TEMPLE  OF  EDFOU. 


249 


ment  doubtless  applies  to  tlie  actual  construction 
only,  and  not  to  tlie  decoration,  since  from  the 
beginning  of  the  reign  of  Pliilopator  to  the  death 
of  Dionysos,  the  last  of  the  kings  whose  cartouches 
appear  on  the  temple,  no  less  than  170  years 
elapsed. 

In  a corner  of  one  of  the  chambers,  where  it 
has  most  probably  been  thrust  by  comparatively 
modern  hands,  is  a monolith  of  fine  speckled  gray 
granite  wdiicli  deservedly  attracts  attention.  At 
Denderah  the  sanctum  sanctorum  is  a niche  in 
the  wall  of  one  of  the  chambers  at  the  extreme 
end  of  the  temple.  Here  the  most  holy  place 
is  represented  by  the  monument  wre  are  now 
considering.  The  inscriptions  with  which  it  is 
covered  certify  both  as  to  its  date  and  as  to  the 
spot  from  which  it  was  originally  hewn ; and  we 
may  take  it  for  granted  that  this  very  monolith 
was  hollowed  out  byNectanebo  I.  (XXXth  dynasty) 
to  serve  as  the  naos  or  shrine  of  a temple  now 
destroyed  and  which  was  replaced  by  the  present 
edifice.  We  need  not  add  that  this  massive  sort 
of  shrine  served  here,  as  at  Denderah,  to  enclose 
the  mysterious  emblem  which  was  the  tutelary 
deity  of  the  temple. 

The  temple  of  Edfou,  exclusive  of  the  pylon 


250 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


and  the  encircling  wall,  has  a frontage  of  forty 
metres,  or  131  English  feet  3 inches,  and  a total 
depth  of  71  metres  85  c.,  or  236  English  feet. 
Including  the  pylon,  its  facade  measures  249ft. 
10in.,  and  its  depth  451ft.  Gin.  The  height  of  the 
pylon  is  114ft.  10in.,  being  32ft.  lOin.  less  than 
the  Vendome  column. 

It  is  so  evident  that  the  temples  of  Edfou 
and  Denderah  were  constructed  on  the  same  plan, 
and  sprang  up  from  the  same  train  of  thought, 
answering  to  the  same  religious  requirements, 
that  the  practical  use  to  which  certain  portions 
were  put  must  have  been  the  same  in  one  temple 
as  in  the  other.  The  study  of  the  inscriptions  at 
Edfou  leaves  no  doubt  as  to  this  point.  The 
priests  assembled  in  the  second  hall  of  columns  ; 
the  grand  procession  of  New  Year’s  day  was  pre- 
pared within  the  chapel,  the  offerings  were  stored 
up  in  certain  chambers,  &c.  As  for  the  pylon, 
nothing  indicates  that  it  was  ever  used  for  any 
other  purpose  than  to  signal  from  afar  the  edifice 
to  which  it  served  as  an  ornamental  gateway.  On 
the  external  frontage  of  the  pylon  are  four  prism- 
shaped cavities  which  are  vertical  at  the  bottom. 
The  purpose  of  these  is  manifest.  It  was  into 
these  cavities  that  the  enormous  masts  were  fitted 


GEBEL-SILSILEH — STONE  QUARRIES.  251 

in,  whose  long  pennants  contributed  to  the  deco- 
ration of  the  pylon.  These  masts  must  have  been 
nearly  150  feet  in  height,  and  could  never  have 
been  sufficiently  secure  had  they  not  been  sup- 
ported against  the  pylon  by  some  suitable  appa- 
ratus ; it  was  as  receptacles  for  this  apparatus 
and  to  give  it  fair  play  that  those  inner  chambers 
of  the  pylon  were  used,  the  square  windows  of 
which  may  be  seen  from  the  exterior  in  the  ver- 
tical lines  of  the  grooves. 

VII.— GEBEL-SILSILEH. 

Miles 

From  Edfou  to  Gebel-Silsileli  ...  ...  26i 

,,  Boolak  to  Gebel-Silsileli  ...  ...  558J 

Owing  to  the  excellence  of  the  sandstone,  the 
proximity  of  the  stream  on  either  side,  and  the 
facilities  of  landing  afforded  to  heavily  laden 
boats,  the  spot  we  have  now  reached  has  long 
been  the  centre  of  the  most  extensive  stone  works 
which  exist  in  Egypt. 

The  most  remarkable  quarries  of  Gebel-Sil- 
sileh  are  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  and  are 
mostly  open  to  the  sky.  Some  are  cut  in  sharp 
edges  to  the  height  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  others 
are  arranged  in  tiers  of  huge  receding  steps.  The 
methodical  care,  however,  we  had  almost  said 


252 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


tlie  extreme  caution,  -with  winch  the  stone  has 
been  quarried,  is  remarkable  throughout.  It 
would  seem  as  though  the  mountain  had  been  cut 
into  blocks  with  as  much  regularity  as  planks 
would  be  cut  by  a skilful  carpenter  from  the 
trunk  of  some  valuable  tree.  Were  we  not  already 
convinced  of  the  fact,  a visit  to  Gehel-Silsileh 
would  prove  that  the  explosive  force  of  gunpowder 
■was  unknown  to  those  by  whom  these  quarries 
were  worked. 

The  quarries  on  the  left  bank  are  neither  so  ex- 
tensive nor  so  easy  of  access.  But  the  existence 
at  the  very  edge  of  the  stream  of  a certain  number 
of  grottoes  invests  them  with  an  interest  which 
the  others  do  not  possess.  Of  these  grottoes  some 
are  mere  ordinary  tombs.  The  most  numerous 
are  due  to  the  custom  which  prevailed  among 
the  Egyptians  to  leave  a proscynem,  a stela,  or 
a monument  of  some  sort,  as  a record  of  their 
visit  to  certain  spots  considered  holy.  Thus  at 
Gehel-Silsileh,  where  the  Nile,  which  is  here  shut 
in  between  two  mountains,  was  the  object  of  a 
special  worship,  we  find,  engraved  on  the  rock, 
hymns  addressed  to  the  river  by  no  means 
wanting  in  a certain  loftiness  of  style.  The 
type  of  these  commemorative  monuments  is  the 


GEBEL-SILSILEH — THE  SPEOS. 


25B 


large  speos,  conspicuous  from  a distance  by  its 
four  massive  pillars.  It  dates  from  the  reign 
of  Horus,  the  last  king  of  the  XVIIIth  dynasty, 
hut  was  made  use  of  later  on  hy  many  person- 
ages who  have  left  here  valuable  records  of  tlieir 
passage.  Our  limits  will  not  allow  of  our  at- 
tempting to  describe  all  that  is  interesting  in 
this  speos.  We  will  only  refer  to  the  two 
pictures  w'hich  are  sculptured  side  hy  side  in  the 
south-west  angle. 

The  one  on  the  southern  wall  represents  a god- 
dess nourishing  King  Horus,  still  an  infant,  with 
her  divine  milk.  Egypt,  it  is  true,  never  at- 
tained to  the  ideal  of  the  beautiful  as  did  Greece, 
nor  indeed  is  it  probable  that  she  ever  made  the 
attempt.  But,  taken  as  a specimen  of  Egyptian 
art,  the  bas-relief  of  the  speos  of  Gehel-Silsileh 
is  a most  beautiful  work.  Nowhere  can  greater 
purity  of  outline  be  found ; and  this  picture  is 
marked  by  a placid  sweetness  of  expression 
which  excites  at  once  wTonder  and  admiration. 
Close  by,  on  the  western  wall,  is  the  other  picture 
well  known  under  the  title  of  the  Triumph  of 
Horus.  The  king  is  seated  on  his  throne,  borne  by 
twelve  officers  of  his  army;  two  other  warriors 
hold  over  his  head  a long-handled  flabellum. 


254  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

This  is  the  triumphal  return  into  Egypt  after 
a victorious  expedition  against  the  Kouschites  of 
the  Soudan.  Armed  soldiers  lead  the  procession, 
followed  by  terror-stricken  prisoners. 

VIII.— ASSOUAN. 

Miles 

From  Gebel-Silsileh  to  Ombos  ...  ...  15 

,,  Ombos  to  Assouan  ...  ...  27^ 

From  Gebel-Silsileh  to  Assouan  ...  42J 

From  Boolak  to  Assouan  601  miles. 

Ombos  is  passed  on  the  way  from  Gebel- 
Silsileh.  There  is  hardly  anjdhing  to  be  said 
about  this  monument,  which  sooner  or  later  is 
doomed  to  become  the  prey  of  the  Nile,  however 
carefully  it  may  be  protected.  The  work  of 
Grecian  princes,  the  successors  of  Alexander, 
like  Edfou  and  Denderali,  it  bears  in  several 
places  the  names  of  Philometor,  of  Euergetes  II., 
and  of  Dionysos.  It  presents  the  peculiar 
feature  of  consisting  to  a certain  extent  of  two 
temples  placed  in  juxtaposition,  dedicated  to 
the  two  eternally  antagonistic  principles — that 
is,  on  the  one  hand,  light  adored  under  the  name 
of  Horus;  on  the  other,  darkness  symbolised  by 
the  crocodile-god  Sehek. 

If  Ombos  were  to  be  visited  with  the  intention 


ASSOUAN. 


255 


only  of  finding  out  its  date,  it  would  scarcely  be 
necessary  to  land.  The  very  first  glimpse  one 
obtains  of  the  temple  marks  it  out  as  of  Ptole- 
maic origin.  The  ideas  suggested  by  the  temple 
of  Esneh  are  in  fact  reproduced  here.  With  the 
arrival  of  the  Greeks,  Egyptian  architecture 
received  an  impetus  which  gave  birth  to  the 
column  with  a capital  sui  generis  found  only  on 
temples  of  Greco-Egyptian  origin. 

The  distance  between  Ombos  and  Assouan  is 
not  great.  After  a few  hours’  journey,  one  begins 
to  perceive  towards  the  south  mountains  ap- 
parently crowned  with  forts.  At  their  feet  lies 
an  island  of  vivid  green  dividing  the  stream  into 
two  almost  equal  parts.  To  the  left  a few  white 
houses  in  the  midst  of  an  oasis  of  date-palms 
faintly  light  up  the  landscape.  But  wrhat  chiefly 
characterises  the  approach  to  Assouan  is  that 
the  river  seems  to  end  here,  and  the  eye  seeks 
in  vain  for  some  outlet. 

Assouan  always  takes  the  traveller  by  sur- 
prise. One  seems  to  be  quite  in  a new  world 
— Egypt  finishes  and  another  country  begins. 
Nowhere  does  one  find  such  a motley  crowd  of 
Egyptians,  Turks,  Barabras,  half-naked  Bisha- 
rees  and  negroes  of  every  tribe.  The  inhabitants 


256 


THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 


of  Khartoom  especially  are  remarkable  by  their 
grand  mien,  their  black  skin  and  their  finely 
formed  head  that  reminds  one  of  the  best  types 
of  northern  races.  To  complete  the  picture,  on 
the  shore  may  be  seen  merchandise,  gums, 
elephants’  tusks,  and  skins  of  animals,  in  out- 
landish-looking packages  which  add  to  the 
bewilderment  of  the  traveller.  In  the  midst  of 
the  crowd  circulate  hawkers,  no  longer  trading 
in  antiquities,  but  in  bludgeons  of  ebony,  pikes, 
lances  and  arrows  the  iron  points  of  which  are 
said  to  be  poisoned.  Assouan  has  scarcely  re- 
tained any  vestiges  of  the  past,  but  there  are 
many  points  of  interest  in  the  town.  A little 
away  to  the  south,  in  a hollow  of  the  ground, 
lies  a small  temple  of  Ptolemaic  origin  lately 
discovered.  About  half  a mile  further  on,  is  ail 
obelisk  still  adhering  by  one  of  its  sides  to  the 
quarry  out  of  which  it  had  begun  to  be  hewn. 

On  the  western  side  of  the  river  immediately 
opposite  to  Assouan  is  the  island  of  Elejdiantine. 
Whilst  at  Assouan  the  Egyptian  element  still 
predominates  in  the  population,  at  Elephantine 
the  traveller  finds  himself  entirely  surrounded 
by  Nubians.  At  the  beginning  of  the  century 
a temple  might  still  be  seen  at  Elephantine, 


THE  ISLAND  OF  ELEPHANTINE. 


257 


already  in  ruins,  which  was  called  by  the  authors 
of  the  great  work  of  the  Eg}Tptian  Commission 
the  Northern  Temple.  There  was  also  a temple 
of  admirable  proportions  called  the  Southern 
Temple,  and,  judging  by  the  drawings  made  at  that 
time,  it  must  have  been  built  1^  Amenophis  III. 
Assouanboasted  besides  of  a monumental  gateway 
of  granite,  and  a quay  rising  abruptly  from  the 
river  flanked  on  the  northern  side  by  a nilometer. 
In  1822,  both  temples  as  well  as  the  nilometer 
disappeared.  The  quay  of  Roman  workmanship, 
for  which  many  remains  of  still  more  ancient 
edifices  were  utilised,  is  still  standing,  as  also  the 
granite  portal  which  bears  on  each  of  its  uprights 
the  cartouches  of  Amenophis  II.  Close  to  the 
modern  dwellings,  an  indifferent  statue  of  Osiris, 
on  which  may  with  difficulty  be  deciphered  the 
names  of  Menephtah  (XIXth  dynasty,  1350  b.c.), 
marks  the  spot  where  once  stood  the  faqade  of 
the  temple  of  Amenophis  III. 

IX.— PHILiE. 

Miles 

From  Assouan  to  Philae  ...  ...  ...  5 

,,  Boolak  to  Philae  ...  ...  ..  606 

The  excursion  from  Assouan  to  Philae  may 
be  made  by  land  as  far  as  the  convent  of  the 

18 


258  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

Austrian  Mission,  from  whence  travellers  are 
conveyed  to  the  island  in  boats.  But  a branch  of 
the  same  road  leading  to  the  village  of  Shellal, 
where  boats  may  also  be  had,  will  be  found  far 
more  picturesque,  when  the  condition  of  the 
river  makes  it  practicable. 

From  Philse  hack  to  Assouan  a different  route 
is  generally  followed,  in  order  to  enable  the 
traveller  to  visit  the  so-called  cataract.* 

From  Assouan  to  the  convent  of  the  Austrian 
Mission  the  journey  lies  the  whole  way  through 
the  desert.  Here  we  find  ourselves  surrounded 
by  a granite  formation  which  crops  out  above 
the  surface  of  the  ground  on  all  sides  ; and  this 
granite  heaped  up  into  gloomy  masses  gives  a 
peculiarly  desolate  appearance  to  the  landscape. 

* Paul  Lucas,  a traveller  of  tlie  time  of  Louis  XIV., 
described  tlie  cataract  as  precipitating  itself  with  such 
force  from  the  top  of  the  rocks  that  the  inhabitants  of  the 
district  were  deaf  for  several  miles  around.  Now  this  is 
a manifest  exaggeration.  Indeed,  if  by  cataract  we  are 
to  understand  the  fall  of  water  caused  by  the  sudden 
lowering  of  the  entire  bed  of  the  stream,  as  for  instance 
in  the  case  of  the  Rhine  at  Scliaffhausen,  it  may  cer- 
tainly be  said  that  there  exists  no  cataract  at  Assouan. 
True,  when  the  Nile  is  low,  the  rocks  with  which  its  bed 
is  obstructed  project  out  of  the  water  and  small  falls  are 
thus  produced,  which  in  some  places  swell  into  cascades. 
But  when  the  river  is  high  these  cascades  are  consider- 
ably reduced,  and  the  rock  being  almost  entirely  covered 
they  dwindle  down  into  mere  rapids. 


PHILiE — MEMORIAL  INSCRIPTIONS. 


259 


In  describing  Gebel-Silsileh  we  alluded  to  the 
custom  which  prevailed  among  the  Egyptians 
of  recording  their  passage  through  certain 
places  by  a stela  or  an  inscription.  Of  this  we 
have  innumerable  instances  along  the  route 
from  Assouan  to  Pliilag — inscriptions  on  the 
rocks  abound  on  all  sides.  Sometimes  they 
consist  merely  of  proper  names,  but  more  often 
they  assume  the  proportions  of  a tableau.  The 
passer-by  has  represented  himself  as  adoring 
the  gods  of  the  cataract ; underneath  is  the  in- 
evitable form  of  prayer.  On  more  memorable 
occasions  we  read  of  generals,  princes,  and  even 
kings  returning  from  an  expedition  into  Soudan 
who  have  left  on  the  rock  by  the  wayside  a last- 
ing record  of  their  passage.  It  is  easy  to  realise 
what  valuable  data  may  occasionally  be  supplied 
by  these  memorials,  which  bear  more  upon  his- 
tory than  on  religion.  Schayl,  a small  island 
in  the  cataract,  not  always  easily  accessible,  is, 
so  to  speak,  covered  with  such  records,  some 
of  which  have  yielded  a clue  to  historical  facts 
now  universally  accepted. 

The  history  of  Philag  is  soon  told.  Its  most 
ancient  monuments  precede  only  by  a few  years 
the  time  of  Alexander,  as  no  name  occurs  here 


260  THE  MONUMENTS  OF  UPPER  EGYPT. 

of  an  earlier  date  than  that  of  Nectanebo  II. 
This  monarch  it  was  who  raised  the  little  temple 
situated  to  the  extreme  south  of  the  island,  and 
of  which  only  a dozen  columns  now  remain  ; he 
also  it  was  who  erected  the  large  portal  placed 
between  the  piers  of  the  first  pylon.  We  will 
not  weary  the  reader  with  the  enumeration  of 
all  the  Ptolemies  and  Caesars  who  subsequently 
erected  numerous  edifices  over  the  island. 
Numbers  of  Greek  laudatory  inscriptions,  es- 
pecially on  the  first  pylon,  have  been  left  by 
pilgrims  visiting  the  shrine  ; and  from  two  of 
these  proscynems  we  gather  this  important  fact, 
that,  so  late  as  a.d.  453,  under  the  Emperor 
Marcian — i.e.,  about  seventy-four  years  after  the 
edict  of  Theodosius  had  abolished  the  Egyptian 
religion — there  still  lived  in  the  “Holy  Island  ” 
priestly  families  who  continued  to  celebrate  the 
time-honoured  mysteries  of  Osiris  and  Isis. 

But  perhaps  in  a spot  unequalled  throughout 
Egypt  in  beauty  it  would  be  too  much  to  expect 
of  the  visitor  that  he  should  examine  closely 
into  the  origin  of  the  monuments.  In  fact,  at 
Philip,  as  at  Karnak,  the  impression  of  the 
moment  must  prevail  over  the  memories  evoked, 
and  no  one  can  help  being  fascinated  by  the 


PHILiE— PHARAOH’S  BED. 


2G1 


picturesque  beauty  and  striking  grandeur  of  the 
landscape,  with  the  sombre  rocks  that  frown  on 
all  sides,  and  the  cataract  that  roars  in  the 
distance.  On  the  other  hand,  the  effect  produced 
on  the  mind  by  the  first  view  of  the  lovely 
columns  of  the  little  temple  commonly  known 
as  Pharaoh's  Bed  defies  all  attempts  at  descrip- 
tion. Nor  is  that  first  impression  otherwise  than 
fully  confirmed  by  a stroll  through  the  island; 
and  one  feels  that  such  a spot  is  the  most  fitting 
crowning  point  to  the  voyage  in  Upper  Egypt. 


UNWIN  BROTHERS,  PRINTERS,  CHILWORTH  AND  LONDON. 


